


Oreos

by golfdadscoups



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 06:06:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13968963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golfdadscoups/pseuds/golfdadscoups
Summary: In which Seungcheol has a child and Jeonghan tries to help.





	1. Chapter 1

Jeonghan’s on the train with Jisoo, delirious from lack of sleep when he notices a guy about their age with platinum blond hair clamber onto the subway with a small kid in his arms.

 

He plops down onto an empty seat and yawns as the kid plays with his shirt. Jeonghan watches them intently with sleep deprived eyes. He'll take any kind of sliver of happiness to emotionally appeal his dead brain. His dead brain which is dead from pulling an all nighter to review for a test.

 

The kid, maybe 4 or 3, has a small button nose and pink cute cheeks. Every now and then he looks up and smiles at the older boy and Jeonghan wants to scream because the child is too adorable. But screaming on the train would be public disruption and indecency and that's illegal. And Jisoo would yell at him.

So instead Jeonghan just beams at the kid in his sleepy haze.

 

"Jeonghan?" Jisoo turns to him, noticing his giddiness.

 

"Isn't that guy in your forensics class?" Jeonghan asks Jisoo quietly, gesturing in the boys direction. Jisoo squints around.

 

"Yeah, he is. That's Seungcheol. Real smart guy." Jisoo says after catching sight of Seungcheol. "He has his own friend group, so we've never talked. I've heard there's rumors about him though."

 

"Rumors?" Jeonghan raises his eyebrows. "What kinda rumors?"

 

"Dunno." Jisoo shrugs. "I've just heard that there's rumors about him. Bad stuff."

 

Jeonghan looks at him again. He seems alright. Not someone you'd spread rumors about for sure. He's helping the little kid count on his fingers.

 

"Who's the baby?" Jeonghan asks.

 

"No idea." Jisoo says. "Little brother maybe?"

 

"He's too cute." Jeonghan gushes.

 

"Seungcheol?"

 

"No the baby, I'm gonna go talk to him." Jeonghan's already making his way across the bus. Jisoo shakes his head.

 

He stops in front of Seungcheol with a smile. "Hi!" He beams at the kid.

 

The child hides his face in Seungcheol's chest and Jeonghan feels his insides explode.

 

"Your brother is so cute." Jeonghan says to Seungcheol with a breathless smile.

 

Seungcheol's eyebrows knit but he smiles back. "Aw thanks. His name is Dino."

 

That's a strange name.

 

"Dino. Hi Dino!" Jeonghan kneels down and waves at the kid, who's shyly looking away still clutching Seungcheol's shirt.

 

"He's a little..." Seungcheol starts to laugh.

 

"Shy, haha." Jeonghan tries to catch Dino's eye. "Dino, can we be friends?"

 

"Dino, say hello." Seungcheol says softly into the child's hair.

 

"Hello..." Dino's voice is small.

 

"Hi!" Jeonghan sticks his hand out for a handshake.

 

Dino grabs his hand for a split second, before burying himself into Seungcheol's arms again, Jeonghan coos as Dino gazes back at him with red cheeks.

 

Then Jeonghan and Jisoo's stop is announced next and Jeonghan regretfully straightens up.

 

"Aw, maybe next time." He says with a sad smile. “Bye Dino!”

 

Seungcheol smiles politely as Jeonghan does a little bow and goes back to Jisoo's side.

 

"No more pulling all-nighters" Jisoo scolds as they step off the cart. “You get weird.”

 

Jeonghan yawns.

 

~

 

College work is shit, everyone will agree. Jeonghan especially. He's pretending to pour over his calculus work in the pub near his dorm, wishing he was dead when a familiar figure catches his eye.

 

"Hey!" Jeonghan calls, seeing Seungcheol from the subway. He'll do anything to not do AP work.

 

"Oh hi." Seungcheol stops at Jeonghan's table with a smile.

 

"Do you work here?" Jeonghan asks, seeing Seungcheol wearing the staff apron.

 

"Yeah, yeah. Can I get you anything?" Seungcheol says, pulling out a small notepad.

 

"Oh no, I'm good. I'm broke right now, anyway." Jeonghan shakes his head. "I'm just doing homework."

 

"Calculus, huh?" Seungcheol says, looking at Jeonghan's notes with a grimace as he puts his notepad in his back pocket. "My shift is over in like 10 minutes, I'll help you out."

 

"Oh um, you don't have to-" Jeonghan starts but doesn't protest too much, because calculus is shit and he needs all the help he can get.  

 

Seungcheol just smiles at him and goes on his way.

 

~

 

"I know it sounds like it doesn't make sense but the tangent doesn't apply and you have to..."

 

Jeonghan's not sure when he stopped paying attention but he's been looking at the plate of fries this couple the table over has chosen to ignore so they can make out and he's disappointed because how can you just ignore fries.

 

"Hey, are you listening?" Seungcheol snaps in front of his face.

 

"Yeah yeah, I get it totally. Thanks for helping out." Jeonghan says absently. His stomach growls loudly.

 

Seungcheol's grin is crooked and handsome. "You hungry?"

 

"I'm good, really." Jeonghan says tucking his hair behind his ear. Refusing is the polite thing to do, right?

 

"Come on, I insist. My treat." Seungcheol stands up.

 

"No please, it's okay. Don't spend your money on me." Jeonghan protests, grabbing Seungcheol's arm.  

 

"I don't mind, it's alright." Seungcheol says with a laugh.  

 

"Oh, come on-" Jeonghan starts to get up but then trips over the table leg and falls backwards, painfully banging the side of his head on the table behind him.

 

"Ow..." Jeonghan groans, grabbing his head, as Seungcheol frenziedly helps him up. A tear squeezes out Jeonghan’s eye.

 

"Are you okay? You're not bleeding, are you? Where did the table hit? Can you stand?" Seungcheol is asking all these questions and he's asking them too fast as he messes up Jeonghan’s hair looking for an injury. It upsets Jeonghan because he spent a good 20 minutes on doing his hair this morning. His head does really hurt a lot though.

 

"Listen, I'm gonna take you to the emergency room, alright? Just in case. I have to pick up Dino and then we'll go, c'mon." Seungcheol is then dragging him out of the diner.

 

Seungcheol's car is small and it smells a like cherry air freshener. Jeonghan hates cherries but that's not the focus on Jeonghan's mind, the focus is that he's going to see Dino. Excitement, for a quick second, overpowers the pain of his injury.

 

"If you start to feel really sick, or dizzy or whatever. If anything feels iffy, tell me immediately okay?" Seungcheol says, while making a turn.

 

"I'm fine-" Jeonghan starts to protest but then his head starts throbbing like crazy and all he can do is sit and clutch it with gritted teeth.

 

They stop in front of a small daycare building and Seungcheol flies out of the car, running up to the door and that's when Jeonghan takes his chance to groan really really loud because his head really really hurts. He's resting his head against the dashboard, trying to steady his breathing when he hears the door click open.

 

"Hey, are you okay?" Seungcheol's voice comes from behind him.

 

Jeonghan shoots up and regrets that immediately because now his head feels like it's going to rip open. Seungcheol is already buckling into the driver's seat.

 

He hears a car engine ignite and decides maybe a minute or two of unconscious won't hurt but Seungcheol is patting his shoulder in an attempt to get him to stay awake.

 

"Don't pass out on me." He's saying, but Jeonghan's eyes are closing.

 

~

 

All hospitals have this strange sterile smell to them and Jeonghan swears he can always hear an old man coughing in the distance every time he goes to a hospital.

 

Maybe it's just me. He shrugs, playing with the strings of his hospital gown.

 

They told him he was unconscious for a solid three hours before they took his brain scans but Jeonghan doesn't recall anything. The scans come out clean and Seungcheol breathes a sigh of relief as Dino is peacefully asleep in his arms, head rested comfortably in the crook of his neck.

 

"See? you were worried for no reason." Jeonghan sticks his tongue out at Seungcheol from his spot on the bed.

 

"Did you see how hard you hit your head? The entire diner heard the sound of impact." Seungcheol retorts jokingly. "I just saved your life and I don't even get a thank you."

 

Jeonghan giggles. "Thank you..."

 

"Drink your orange juice. The nurse told me your fluid levels were low." Seungcheol says gesturing to the little juice box on the tray in Jeonghan's lap.

 

Jeonghan stabs his juice box with the straw. Dino whines in Seungcheol's arms, still asleep.

 

Jeonghan looks up, seeing Seungcheol absently stroking Dino's hair. His eyes are hard and unfocused.

 

"Your brother is so cute." Jeonghan says, jutting out his lower lip as Dino scrunches his nose

 

Seungcheol blinks out of thought, and looks at Jeonghan chuckling. "He's my son."

 

Jeonghan drops his juice box. "What?"

 

"Dino's my kid?" Seungcheol's eyebrows knit. "Pick that up, it's gonna spill everywhere." He's looking at the juice box lying diagonal in Jeonghan's lap.

 

Jeonghan sets his juice upright on the tray and meets eyes with Seungcheol with his mouth wide open.

 

"I can pay your hospital fee." Seungcheol says, clearly trying to change the subject. "It's not that high."

 

Jeonghan blinks. "No, I-I got it..."

 

“Are you really that surprised?” Seungcheol laughs.

 

Jeonghan opens his mouth to answer but his stomach interrupts him, growling loudly.

 

Seungcheol eyebrows raise. “Do you have money to make it home on your own?”

 

Jeonghan shakes his head, mind still on the fact that Seungcheol has a child. How does he have a child, he's only in his third year. Is Dino what the rumors are about?

 

“Could you call someone to pick you up? A friend? Roommate?”

 

“I could try Jisoo…” Jeonghan mumbles, reaching for his phone on the bedside. “He goes to bed really early though, I don’t think he's gonna pick up.”

 

A nurse calls Seungcheol outside. Jeonghan brings his phone up to his ears, his eyes on Dino's cute little sleeping face as Seungcheol walks out of the room.

 

After multiple failed attempts to contact him, it seems Jisoo will in fact not pick up and Jeonghan hangs his head, cursing his best friend with a most colorful array of profanity.

 

“Nothing?” Seungcheol steps into the room again, Dino is awake now, waddling in as well, his fist encircling Seungcheol's finger, his other hand holds a paper airplane.

 

Jeonghan lights up. “Hi Dino!”

 

Dino jumps in surprise and scurries behind Seungcheol's leg.

 

“Hi..” He replies with a shy smile.

 

Jeonghan pouts. I’ll win you over one day he thinks.

 

“I can give you a ride?” Seungcheol offers. “I’d just have to drop Dino home, put him to bed and stuff.”

 

Jeonghan grimaces, is he really gonna let a stranger do all these nice things for him? A stranger's whose motives Jeonghan knows nothing about? A stranger who apparently has a bad reputation in their school.

 

“I don't know…”

 

Seungcheol tilts his head. “I could give you some money for the bus?” Dino pokes his head out from in between Seungcheol's knees and stares at Jeonghan with wide eyes.

 

"Money...I can't take that." Jeonghan shakes his head. He likes to think he's humble.

 

"How do you expect to get back to the dorms like this?" Seungcheol shakes his head, pulling out his wallet. “Dino, stop.” He shimmies around Dino and pulls out a bill.

 

Seungcheol looks at Jeonghan expectantly. When he gets no response, he exhales. "Come on, it's no big deal."

 

Jeonghan steps out of bed reluctantly, sliding his phone into his pocket. He takes the money from Seungcheol and bows sheepishly. Dino runs circles around them, making whoosh noises as they walk down the hallway, holding his paper airplane up high and proud.

 

They step outside into the cool evening air. “I don't think I got your name.” Seungcheol says as they shake hands.

 

“Oh, I’m Jeonghan.” Jeonghan says, tucking his bangs behind his ear.

 

“Jeonghan.” Seungcheol repeats with a smile. " Choi Seungcheol."

 

"Thank you for, um, all of this...Choi Seungcheol...ssi." Jeonghan gestures at the hospital awkwardly.

 

"Just Seungcheol is fine." Seungcheol smiles casually.

 

"Oh okay." Jeonghan twirls his bangs around his finger. "Thank you, Seungcheol."

 

"Any time." Dino whips past him, making airplane noises.

 

Jeonghan takes a moment to study Seungcheol. His skin is a pretty beige tinge, soft yet taunt on his cheekbones, he's got little eye bags and his lips look a little chapped. He's smiling a tiny tired smile and Jeonghan can't help but smile back. He seems nice.

 

“Well see you on campus, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol reaches his hand out behind him. “Dino, lets go.”

 

Dino immediately comes running, holding his airplane high up. He grabs Seungcheol's hand.

 

“Say bye-bye.” Seungcheol says to him, waving at Jeonghan.

 

“Bye bye!.” Dino exclaims, looking up at Jeonghan.

 

Jeonghan laughs as the two start to walk away from him. “Bye bye, Dino.”

  
  


~

  
  


"Seven missed calls." Jisoo sighs as he flicks the lights on and off in their dorm.

 

"Stop..." Jeonghan mumbles into his pillow.

 

"Why did you call me so late at night?"

 

"It wasn't even late: it was like 10:30." Jeonghan sits up in his bed, his hair a disheveled mess.

 

"It was late for me." Jisoo argues.

 

"I needed a ride home from the hospital." Jeonghan brushes his hair out of his face.

 

"Hospital?!" Jisoo's eyes widen. He comes and sits by Jeonghan, grabbing his face and examining it. "You're not hurt, are you?"

 

"I'm fine, mom." Jeonghan weasels out of Jisoo's hands.

 

Jisoo rolls his eyes.

 

"I just hit my head on a table." Jeonghan says, pushing his hair out of his face. "Then Seungcheol drove me to the hospital."

 

"Seungcheol? From forensics?" Jisoo's eyebrows scrunch.

 

"Yeah, he works at the pub. Super duper nice. Even gave me bus money." Jeonghan leans back on his pillow. "I even got to see his kid."

 

Jisoo's mouth rounds into an 'O'. "His kid?"

 

"Yeah! the kid on the bus with him was his son, not his brother." Jeonghan slides a hair tie off his wrist and starts bunching his hair behind his head.

 

"Why does he have a kid? Did he get a girl pregnant in high school or something?" Jisoo asks.

 

"Dunno." Jeonghan shrugs and shimmies out of bed.

 

"Are you guys like friends now?"

 

"A little bit, I guess." Jeonghan opens his closet.

 

"He's got a kid, though."

 

"So?"

 

"People might get the wrong idea." Jisoo says carefully.

 

"Okay, I know I get mistaken for a girl sometimes but people are not gonna think he's our kid if we hang out." Jeonghan pulls out Jisoo's 'same shit, different day' shirt. "I'm borrowing this."

 

Jisoo folds his legs. "Just don't get too close with him, alright? I don't want people spreading rumors about you because of him."

 

"Joshua, that's mean." Jeonghan pouts.

 

Jisoo holds his hands up and shrugs. "I'm just sayin'."

 

~~

 

“Oh my god, if this kid does not shut up in the next 5 minutes I'm gonna go to jail for second-degree murder.” A customer grits as he looks through piles of paper plates.

 

Whoever he is, a few aisles over, the child has been throwing a tantrum about “I want the Oreos!” for almost 20 minutes with his dad trying to get him to calm down. The situation is awkward, Jeonghan has a terrible migraine sprouting, Jisoo is ready to get out.

 

“We should get some aspirin while we’re here.” Jisoo starts to say as Jeonghan starts going toward the cookie aisle, just out of curiosity of who this damn kid is.

 

Once he gets there, his jaw drops.

 

It's Dino. Throwing his arms down hard on the ground, screaming his head off with a red face. And Seungcheol is right beside him, leaning on his shopping cart with his head in his hands.

 

“Choi Dino, if you don't get up right now, I swear to god-” Seungcheol growls.

 

“Seungcheol!” Jeonghan pipes up.

 

Seungcheol looks up and sighs. “Jeonghan, help me out, please.” He pleads.

 

“Oh my god.” Jisoo mumbles under his breath.

 

Jeonghan goes to Dino, patting his back. “Dino buddy, what's wrong?”

 

“PAPA WONT BUY ME OREOS.” Dino shrieks and Jeonghan jumps, taken aback.

 

“Okay, if you stop crying...I’ll buy you Oreos!” Jeonghan forces a pep to his voice as he kneels forward.

 

Dino immediately straightens up and beams at Jeonghan, pushing his hair out of his face.

 

Jisoo scoffs.

 

“You will?!” Dino jumps.

 

“Mmhmm!” Jeonghan nods. “You have to promise to stop crying though.”

 

“O-okay, I'll stop.” Dino wipes his face harshly and sniffs.

 

Seungcheol groans “I'm so sorry about this.”

 

“It's fine. Kids are like that sometimes.” Jeonghan says, picking up a box of Oreos off the shelf.

 

“So Dino.” He turns to Dino who looks up at him with big eyes. “I'll buy these for you and bring them to your house next week, okay? Until then you have to promise to be a good boy and listen to your dad.”

 

“Next week?!” Dino exclaims. “That's so long!”

 

“Pinky promise!” Jeonghan insists, holding his pinky out.

 

Dino's much smaller pinky reluctantly wraps around Jeonghan’s.

 

“You have to promise. Don't forget.” Dino says.

 

“I won't, I promise.” Jeonghan straightens up.

 

Dino goes to Seungcheol’s side and sticks his tongue out at him. Seungcheol sticks his tongue out back.

 

“Thank you, Jeonghan.” He then turns to Jeonghan with a tired smile.

 

“It was nothing.” Jeonghan shrugs.

 

Seungcheol looks from Jeonghan to Jisoo. “Hey, you're in my forensics class, right?...Hong Jisoo?”

 

Jisoo nods stiffly. “That's me.”

 

Jeonghan looks at Jisoo oddly, noticing how careful and quiet he has become suddenly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Jisoo-ssi.” Seungcheol offers.

 

“You too.” Jisoo gives him a tight-lipped smile.

 

Seungcheol’s smile falters a little but he doesn't say anything. Jeonghan feels the air grow tense.

 

“W-well, see you around Seungcheol!” Jeonghan chirps nervously and Jisoo starts to turn too fast for it to go unnoticed.

 

“Bye, Jeonghan.”

 

Once they have paid for their items and are outside the mart, Jeonghan speaks up.

 

“What the fuck was that?”

 

“What?” Jisoo looks at him with a frown.

 

“Seungcheol just said hi to you and you were acting so weird.”

 

“How was I acting weird? I said hi back.” Jisoo unlocks his car trunk

 

Jeonghan starts loading the groceries in. “You were being so closed off. You're not usually like that. What happened?”

 

Jisoo shuts the trunk. “Nothing.”

 

“No seriously, what's up? Do you not like Seungcheol?” Jeonghan asks concerned as they slip into their seats.

 

“Nothing, I just...I don't feel like we should be hanging around him.” Jisoo starts the car.

 

“Why?” Jeonghan asks. “He's so nice and his kid is so cute and he literally saved me from being dying like two days ago.”

 

“No, he just...I heard bad stuff about him, I don't trust him.” Jisoo says and before Jeonghan can retort, he speaks again. “I don't wanna talk about it anymore.”

 

Bad stuff. Jeonghan pouts but remains silent.

  
  


~

 

Mingyu is that underclassmen that will not shut up. Wonwoo is his underclassmen best friend that will also not shut up. Therefore, lunch is a nightmare for Jeonghan.

 

Oh well. He flips his hair miserably as he sits across from them in the cafeteria. They're more or less sitting in each other's laps and Jeonghan's only here because Mingyu always buys an extra pack of chips and juicebox for him. The juicebox is a mini one that's usually reserved for toddlers but the university sells them because they're cheaper. The playful cartoons on it remind Jeonghan of Dino. Thinking about Dino leads Jeonghan to thinking about Seungcheol. Thinking about Seungcheol, he begins wonder about those rumors.

 

In the meantime, Mingyu has been kissing Wonwoo on the cheek and Wonwoo has been giggling like a schoolgirl, feeding Mingyu strawberries. Maybe they're not best friends. Either way, Jeonghan wants to leave and he wants to leave right now.

 

He looks around the cafeteria, hoping to see someone else he can sit with. A sea of unfamiliar faces greets him. He pouts, wishing he had more friends.

 

He turns back and for some reason, Mingyu and Wonwoo have gotten into a tickle fight.

 

He clears his throat loudly. "I have a question."

 

Mingyu and Wonwoo slowly separate. "Yeah, hyung?" Mingyu asks.

 

"Do you guys know anyone named Choi Seungcheol?"

 

"Oh, Seungcheol-hyung?" Mingyu breaks into cheeky guffaws. Wonwoo whistles. "What a dog! What a gangster!"

 

"What?" Jeonghan’s eyebrows knit. "A gangster?"

 

"He used to rap at some underground clubs in high school, from what I've heard." Wonwoo cups his chin in his palm. "Drank, smoked, had sex, biggest cocaine dealer in the damn school...you know the story."

 

"Are you...are you sure we're talking about the same Seungcheol?" Jeonghan squares his shoulders.

 

He tries to picture smiley charming Seungcheol smoking but the image just refuses to form.

 

"Oh hell yeah." Mingyu nods, smirking. "You know how it gets when you're wasted and a pretty lady makes her way over. That's why he's got a kid. The bitch probably stole all his mom's dowry and ran."

 

Jeonghan feels a weird annoyance build in his chest at the way Mingyu is talking. He doesn't say anything, however.

 

"Hmm. That's probably why he works like a dozen jobs now." Wonwoo pouts thoughtfully. "Gotta buy diapers for Seungcheol Junior."

 

"I know if my parents found out I had a bastard son, they'd fuckin' disown me." Mingyu shrugs. "But whatever. Props to hyung for still staying in school."

 

Jeonghan slowly gets up, afraid that if he stays any longer, he'll lose his cool and Mingyu will end up with a black eye.

 

"I have to go to the library." He collects his juicebox and chips, turning to go.

 

"Alright, see you later." Mingyu waves once before draping his arm around Wonwoo again.

 

There's a guy in a black sweatshirt slumped over at the table Jeonghan usually sits at. He gets closer, wondering if he should wake the guy up, in case he's missing a class or something.

 

The guy snores. Jeonghan frowns in disgust. He's about to go over and shake him awake but his phone starts vibrating on the table. Jeonghan pauses.

 

The guy practically knocked out. Jeonghan peers over his shoulder, looking to see who's calling. A big, all caps DAYCARE is flashing on the screen. Jeonghan nervously looks left and right before answering.

 

There's a child crying in the background.

 

"Uh hello." Jeonghan answers awkwardly.

 

"Oh Seungcheol-sii! Sorry to bother you, I know you're busy with classes, but Dino is so upset and he really wants to talk to you so-"

 

"Uh..." Jeonghan utters coherently. This is Seungcheol's phone.

 

"Seungcheol-ssi?" The crying gets louder.

 

"Uh...Seungcheol is asleep right now, but if I can take the call for him...would...that..help?" Jeonghan feels his face growing red.

 

"If you can help Dino calm dow-" Immediately a tiny high pitched voice sobs into the phone and Jeonghan jumps in surprise.

 

The only words he can make out are "wanna go home" and "miss you so much" and his heart breaks.

 

"Dino?" Jeonghan bites his lip. "Dino, your dad’s kinda busy right now. But do you wanna tell me what's wrong instead?" The crying subsides into sniffles and Jeonghan becomes hopeful.

 

Before Jeonghan can say anything else, Dino starts sobbing again. Jeonghan starts apologizing. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry."

 

He looks around panicked, Seungcheol is still asleep. Jeonghan grits his teeth.

 

"Dino, please stop crying! I'll buy you Oreos if you stop!" Jeonghan grabs Seungcheol by the shoulder, shaking him mercilessly.

 

"Woah, what?" Seungcheol groggily sits up. He squints up at Jeonghan who hands him the phone, frantically explaining the situation.

 

"Uh, hello?" Seungcheol closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Yes Dino baby....yes it's Papa...I miss you too baby.."

 

Jeonghan awkwardly stands by and wrings his hands.

 

"Dino, listen to me bud." Seungcheol is massaging his temple. "Listen....if you stop crying and behave....I know you're sad, I know you miss Papa..."

 

Jeonghan taps his foot, waiting for the conversation to end with red cheeks. Seungcheol mouths a small 'I'm sorry' at him to which Jeonghan immediately blurts "It's alright!"

 

"Okay give the phone to your teacher." Seungcheol hangs his head, turning back to his phone. "...yes, I'm so sorry about this...he's been acting like this since yesterday, I don't know why..."

 

Jeonghan gets a text from Jisoo.

 

Where are you?

 

Jeonghan looks at Seungcheol as he pulls out a bottle of painkillers from his backpack while talking on the phone.

 

In the cafeteria with Wonwoo and Mingyu

Jeonghan texts back.

 

A few seconds later his phone rings.

 

Really? Because I'm sitting with them right now and you're not.

 

Jeonghan curses in his head and shoves his phone back in his pocket as Seungcheol ends the call.

 

"Uh, did you need something?" Seungcheol has this weird frown on his face that looks very out of place as he slides two pills into his palm.

 

"O-oh no." Jeonghan holds his hands up. "I just walked in and your phone was vibrating..."

 

Seungcheol nods and dry swallows the pills.

 

"Woah what the fuck." Jeonghan comments with wide eyes.

 

Seungcheol stands up and runs a hand through his hair. "Thank you for that."

 

"Oh uh, your welcome." Jeonghan shrugs, trying to ease up the atmosphere. "Kind of a small repayment for driving me to the hospital...."

 

Seungcheol is still frowning as he rests a palm on his forehead. Even though they've only met twice before, Jeonghan’s too used to his smile. "Actually, you wanna do me a favor, Jeonghan?"

 

"Uh, what...?" Jeonghan asks.

 

"Can you go to Dino's daycare and just stay there with him for a little while? Just to calm him down? I have to make up a test."

 

Jeonghan blinks. "Oh I-"

 

"Actually never mind, that's weird." Seungcheol shakes his head all of a sudden. "Sorry never mind...you probably have class."

 

"Oh no no." Jeonghan argues. "I'll do it, I'll do it. I'll only miss calculus." He'll do anything to miss calculus.

 

Seungcheol's pauses with raised eyebrows but then smiles. "Thank you." He pulls a pen out of his pocket and grabs Jeonghan's arm, scribbling down the address on his clean skin. "You have a car?"

 

Jeonghan stares at the messy blue ink. "No, but I can take the bus there."

 

"Alright, I'll come pick you both up in like two hours, is that okay?"

 

"Yeah yeah." Jeonghan beams, excited about the idea that he gets to spend time with Dino.

 

~

 

Jisoo is constantly texting Jeonghan about what an idiot he is and how he shouldn't do favors for strangers and he's right, Jeonghan can't deny it. But this isn't a stranger, it's Dino.

 

He gets off at his stop and starts walking down the street, wondering how he should approach Dino. His palms become sweaty. What if he can't get Dino to stop crying?

 

A man on the side of the road is selling small teddybears. They're the kind you give your lover that say "Be Mine" in cursive on a red heart on their backs. Jeonghan purchases one anyway.

 

Dino might like it.

 

Upon reaching the daycare building, he takes a moment to adjust his clothes and fix his hair, putting on his best smile despite literally shaking.

 

"Uh, I'm here for Dino." He says politely to the middle aged lady at the front desk. "Seungcheol...sent me to come stay with him."

 

"Oh thank goodness!" She clasps her hands, standing up. "The poor baby's been crying since morning! I'll go get him."

 

Jeonghan waits, rocking back and forth on his heels, admiring the doodles hanging up on the walls. He sees one that says "Dino and Papa" in big red letters on the top and feels a smile blossom on his cheeks. It's two amateur stick figures holding hands, one is clearly smaller than the other.  

 

The lady returns with Dino in her arms, his face is red and there's snot slinking down his nostrils into his mouth which is wide open and producing loud cries. Jeonghan frowns.

 

He takes Dino in his arms and the lady directs him to the waiting room where he goes unsurely. There's toys and coloring books here and there. Everything is kid sized except for the seats lining the walls.

 

Jeonghan wipes Dino's tears away with his thumb but they keep falling and he starts panicking.

 

"Look I got you a teddybear!" He holds up the small bear but Dino is unaffected.

 

"Dino, please stop crying." He bites his lip, resting Dino's head on his shoulder. He already knows Jisoo will kill him for this as he feels tears and snot and spit dampen his shirt.

 

At one point, Jeonghan just starts rocking back and forth, holding Dino tightly in his arms, praying by some miracle that he'll stop.

 

"Some water?" The lady steps in, holding an orange sippy cup. Jeonghan takes it with a nervous smile and leaves it on one of the tables.

 

He rubs soothing circles on Dino's back in an attempt to calm his shaking. He sits down on the floor.

 

Dino is clinging to Jeonghan with his whole body, his sobs have died down into occasional whines and whimpers.

 

"Dino buddy, are you okay?" Jeonghan asks softly, taking the sippy cup from the table beside him. "Do you want some water?"

 

Dino sniffs in response. Jeonghan fumbles for the tissue box, extracting a tissue. He pulls Dino away from and puts the tissue up to his nose, instructing him to blow.

 

Dino looks at Jeonghan with wide watery eyes, his lower lip quivering.

 

"I got you a teddy, you wanna see?" Jeonghan asks and takes another tissue to wipe the rest of Dino's face fluids.

 

Dino nods, rubbing his eye with a balled fist. Jeonghan holds up the white bear. Dino takes it gingerly and looks at it with sad eyes.

 

"Your Papa said he's coming in a little while and to not be sad." Jeonghan says softly, brushing the child's hair out of his face.

 

"Papa always leaves me." Dino says shakily, still toying with the bear. "I like here, it's fun...but I miss him."

 

“That's okay, Dino.”

 

“All the other kids papas and mamas are always there to come get em w-when it's time to go but Papas never there.”

 

Jeonghan tries to catch Dino's eyes. "Papa always comes though.”

 

"What if he forgotted me?" Dino mumbles.

 

Jeonghan blinks, unsure of how to answer. Unsure of what to think about the whole ordeal.

Seungcheol being so young and having a child, Jeonghan could never imagine how much responsibility that takes. He can barely take care of himself with Jisoo doing most of the work. He doesn't even understand why Seungcheol has a child.

 

Dino himself must feel confused and scared a lot of times with Seungcheol always having to leave for class or work. He must hate it, how he's always alone.

Jeonghan looks at Dino who's clearly holding back tears and feel his chest tighten.

 

“Sometimes I think “what happened to Mama?” But I dunno.” Dino hiccups.

 

“Your Mama…?” Dangerous territory.

 

“At least Papas here, even if he's always late.” Dino says with a small hiccup.

 

"It's okay." Jeonghan starts blankly. "Papa’s out fighting crime and saving the world." What am I doing? "That's why he's always late. It's 'cause he's a superhero. He wants to make sure the world is safe, so you can play in it."

 

Dino's face rounds into shock. "Really?.”

 

Jeonghan beams, nodding. “He even saved me from a...from a..um... from the evil lizard overlord once!”

 

“Really?!” Dino's voice is an octave higher as the color returns to his cheeks.

 

“Mhmm.”

 

He untangles himself from Jeonghan's arms and runs out of the room.

 

"Mrs. Kim! Mrs. Kim!" He exclaims, jumping up and down in front of her desk. "Papa’s a shupah-hero!"

 

"Oh my, is he really?" Mrs Kim chuckles. "That's amazing, Dino."

 

Dino runs back into the room and tumbles into Jeonghan's arms excitedly. "What else does Papa do?"

 

Jeonghan grins. What the fuck am I doing? And he launches into an elaborate tale about how Seungcheol defeated the evil lizard overlord using his laser vision and super strength.

 

Dino hangs onto every word he says and Jeonghan feels ridiculously guilty.

 

Two hours fly by. Dino is playing with two action figures that Jeonghan has figured out represent Seungcheol and the evil lizard overlord. He himself is lying on the floor, scrolling through Twitter when the doorbell rings.

 

"Hi, sorry I couldn't make it earlier." Dino immediately turns at the sound of the voice. "I had been putting this test off for-"

 

"Papa!" Dino sprints out of the room.

 

Jeonghan stands up and steps outside. Seungcheol is there in his black sweatshirt and stonewash jeans, holding Dino tightly in his arms, apologizing profusely to him.

 

"It's okay, you're a shupah-hero!" Dino giggles as Seungcheol kisses his cheek.

 

"What?" Seungcheol chuckles.

 

"Noona tolded me!" Dino grins, pointing at Jeonghan.

 

Seungcheol looks at Jeonghan and bursts into loud chortles. Jeonghan feels his face turn red.

 

"Dino baby, he's a boy. That's Jeonghan-hyung." Seungcheol explains, still laughing a little.

 

"Why he has long hairs then?" Dino asks curiously. "I thought only girls had long hairs."

 

"Sometimes boys have long hair too." Seungcheol says, brushing Dino's hair out of his eyes.

 

Dino's mouth rounds into an "O". Jeonghan laughs.

 

"Do you like my long hair, Dino?" Jeonghan asks, coming closer.

 

Dino nods enthusiastically. "I think you look cool!" He beams and turns to Seungcheol. "Right, papa?"

 

"I think he looks super cool." Seungcheol agrees, smiling at Jeonghan warmly.

 

"Thank you for this." They're in the car later, Dino is strapped into his seat in the back, playing with his brand new teddy bear. Seungcheol's beaming at him through the rear view mirror.

 

"I don't know what you did but it worked." He turns to Jeonghan.

 

Jeonghan laughs nervously. "I wouldn't mind babysitting Dino more often."

 

"I couldn't let you do that. You should focus on your studies." Seungcheol starts the car.

 

"No really, I'm not taking that many classes this semester." Jeonghan says as they back out of the parking lot. "I don't have class Monday or Thursday. I could hang with Dino while you're at work."

 

Seungcheol sighs, turning onto the main road. "Jeonghan, I barely know you. Why on earth would I leave my child alone with you?"

 

"Point taken." Jeonghan nods with a frown. He turns to Seungcheol. "However, you could get to know me right now."

 

Seungcheol snorts. "Alright, shoot. Tell me about yourself."

 

Jeonghan thinks. "Hm...I sing at a bar on the weekends and I can cook up a mean bowl of spicy pasta."

 

"The bar by pizzahut?"

 

"Yeah yeah, for some extra grocery money." Jeonghan nods. "I'm also into Toontown. I have the game on my PC but I don't get to play that much. I even have the app on my phone. Well it's like a pirated app because the original was taken down."

 

"Oh yeah?" Seungcheol asks interestedly, his eyes on the road.

 

"I'm like at 110laff on the phone." Jeonghan says. "Jisoo thinks I'm childish for liking it, but he doesn't get it. It's a lifestyle."

 

That's when Seungcheol starts laughing.

 

"Don't laugh." Jeonghan grins, unable to find it in himself to get offended like he does with Jisoo.

 

Seungcheol laughs louder.

 

"Don't laugh, what the hell!" Jeonghan starts laughing too.

 

"Hey hey what's so funny?!" Dino squeaks from the backseat.

 

"Oh nothing baby. Jeonghan-hyung was just telling me how much he loves Toontown." Seungcheol's got this shit eating grin on his face. Jeonghan hits his arm playfully.

 

"Toontown?!" Dino exclaims. "Like Mickey Mouse?!"

 

"Yeah like Mickey Mouse." Seungcheol nods.  

 

"I love Mickey Mouse!" Dino waves his bear high in the air.

 

Seungcheol tells him about how he used to help his friend who aspired to become a composer make music and sing, he would rap occasionally, even try his hand at composing himself.

 

"I wasn't really that good at it." Seungcheol says sheepishly. "I mean-I wasn't bad, but like there was nothing special about what I put together."

 

"Nah, I'm sure you were fine." Jeonghan punches Seungcheol’s shoulder playfully.

 

"My buddy would yell at me a lot when I messed up a line or something. It was hilarious. His face would get all red and stuff." Jeonghan laughs as Seungcheol imitates in a high pitched voice.

 

"I could ask him if he'd want to put you on one of his tracks." Seungcheol says afterwards. "He's got a pretty solid career ahead of him."

 

"Oh I'm not that good at singing." Jeonghan laughs nervously. "Not good enough for an actual song."

 

"Let me hear. I'm sure you're great."

 

"You want me to sing for you? No I-"

 

"Oh c'mon, I bet you're amazing!" Seungcheol insists.

 

So Jeonghan sings for Seungcheol. He hums the Mickey Mouse clubhouse theme song, which makes Seungcheol laugh and Jeonghan doesn't seem to mind because Seungcheol has a very attractive laugh. It's loud and genuine and just...nice.

 

"Listen, any time you're free. Hit me up with a recording of you singing, and I'll send it to my pal." Seungcheol says, stopping the car in front of Jeonghan’s dorm building.

 

"I'll think about it..." Jeonghan says shyly. "We should exchange numbers, though. In case there's an emergency like today."

 

"Oh okay sure." Seungcheol pulls out his phone. Dino makes explosion noises with his mouth as Seungcheol tries to get the right spelling of Jeonghan’s name down. Jeonghan’s phone dies before he can lock in Seungcheol’s information.

 

Seungcheol frowns. "That's okay, I'll just text you and you can save my number." Dino starts making gunshot noises.

 

"Right right." Jeonghan smiles. "Thank you for the ride back."

 

"Any time." Seungcheol nods.

 

"See you soon, Dino!" Jeonghan waves to Dino as he gets out of the car.

 

"Bye bye!" Dino shouts back. Seungcheol waves at him and the car slowly drives out of the lot.

 

"Went on an adventure today?" Jisoo is sitting on his bed, reading his book.

 

"I guess." Jeonghan shrugs. "I got baby snot on your shirt."

 

"Gross, Jeonghan." Jisoo frowns. He looks up at Jeonghan. "You've got this weird daydream look in your eyes, don't tell me you have a crush on Seungcheol?"

 

Jeonghan snorts. "His kid is so adorable."

 

"Why do you like kids so much? They're so loud and obnoxious." Jisoo clicks his tongue.

 

Jeonghan gasps. "They are not! They're sweet..."

 

"That Dino kid is gonna shit his pants one day and then what are you gonna do?" Joshua asks.

 

Jeonghan’s nose crinkles in disgust as he slides his hair tie out of his hair. He forgot babies did that.

 

Jisoo sits up and points at Jeonghan. "See, see. Exactly. Not so sweet and innocent anymore."

 

~

 

It's around midnight and Jeonghan’s about half asleep in bed when he gets a text.

 

Hey Jeonghan, it's Seungcheol.

 

Jeonghan’s yawns, remembering he had to save Seungcheol’s number. He saves it before replying.

 

Gotcha. Why are you up so late???

 

Jeonghan’s phone goes without reply for a solid 20 minutes and he almost falls back asleep before it buzzes on his chest.

 

Just finished covering a shift. :-(

 

Jeonghan frowns. Dino's probably home by himself.

 

Is Dino at home?

 

Another stretch of no reply. Jeonghan starts playing Toontown on his phone.

 

Yeah. I put him to bed before going to cover.

 

Jeonghan forgets to reply, too immersed in the game. Toontown is addicting.

 

You shouldn't be up this late either.

 

Yeah I know. Jeonghan replies quickly and goes back to his game.

 

20 more minutes pass before Seungcheol texts him again.

 

He woke up while I was gone and clogged the toilet with the bear you gave him. He says goodnight.

 

Jeonghan holds back a guffaw. He can practically hear the annoyance in Seungcheol’s voice.

 

LOL. Goodnight Dino!!! and goodnight Seungcheol :-)

 

10 more minutes and he receives a timid goodnight.

 

~

 

"I need to get out of here." Jeonghan whispers through clenched teeth.

 

The girl sitting next to him nods solemnly in agreement. It's a required human relations class and it is so dull.

 

The professor is yapping away at the front of the class holding up a jar of pebbles comparing it to the "troubles in our lives". Talking about how the students will be asked to evaluate a jar of pebbles for the midterm exam. Jeonghan rolls his eyes. They're pebbles for fucks sake.

 

His phone vibrates in his butt pocket and he jumps in surprise. Discreetly, he pulls it out and checks the notification.

 

It's a text from Seungcheol.

 

Hey I'm sorry to bother you, but are you busy after 4 today?

 

Jeonghan thinks, other than a quick blunt passing at Mingyu’s there's nothing else he has planned. He exits out of Seungcheol's chat box and goes to Mingyu’s.

 

I can't make it today, something came up. Sorry :-/.

 

What the fuck hyung we had this planned for weeks. Mingyu replies.

 

He goes back to Seungcheol without replying.

 

I'm free. What do u need???

 

The reply is almost instant.

 

Can you just come over and stay with Dino? I have to go to a meeting and my friend who was suppose to babysit canceled.

 

Seungcheol sounds so frantic. The corners of Jeonghan’s mouth droop down.

 

Yeah sure I'll be there. Just text me the address.

 

"Excuse me, Mr.Yoon. You know how I feel about cellphone usage in my class." The professor says loudly.

 

Jeonghan drops his phone in his bag and straightens up with an innocent smile. "I was just texting my mom."

 

The professor rolls her eyes and scoffs. Jeonghan shrugs and goes back to staring at the clock.

 

When 4 pm rolls around, Jeonghan makes the trek to Seungcheol's place. It's a small apartment complex right behind the campus. All the buildings look the same and Jeonghan goes in a circle twice trying to find the right building number.

 

After a long stretch of being lost and ultimately resorting to asking some skater dudes in the plaza for directions, Jeonghan climbs up the creaky metal stairs of building 4, feeling tired. Prepping for midterms has already begun to take its toll.

 

He knocks on the wooden door and waits. There's a pair of heavy footsteps and then lighter smaller pitter patter footsteps coming towards the door. Jeonghan then stands face to face with a very ill looking shirtless Seungcheol. Jeonghan’s eyes begin to travel down Seungcheol’s torso but he stops himself and pretends he's blind for a quick moment.

 

"Oh, hi. Come in." Seungcheol leaves the door wide open and goes back into the hallway to do who knows what.

 

Dino is standing in the middle of the living room, wearing a pale blue t-shirt and jeans, looking adorable, holding a striped rubber ball. He looks up at Jeonghan and smiles, waving.

 

Jeonghan waves back, unsure of what else to do.

 

"Jihoon-hyung." Dino says confidently.

 

"No...I'm Jeonghan-hyung." Jeonghan corrects.

 

"Oh..." Dino clutches his ball. "Shorry...Did you bring the Oreos?!” he perks up and asks excitedly

 

Oh shit. Jeonghan blinks and is about to reply when Seungcheol bounds back into the living room wearing a suit with his hair slicked back.

 

"Thanks so much for this." He says, adjusting his watch.

 

Jeonghan notices his dark circles and how pale his skin looks on his structured face. His hands shake as he adjusts his tie.

 

"You're-you're welcome." Jeonghan says, watching him text rapidly on his phone. "Are you feeling okay? You look kind of sick."

 

"I'll be fine." Seungcheol brushes him off and kneels down, opening his arms wide for Dino. Dino tumbles into his chest and hugs him tight. "Listen to Jeonghan-hyung okay? I'll be back soon."

 

"I lubb you!" Dino chirps. Seungcheol kisses his nose.

 

"I love you too." He straightens up and faces Jeonghan. "If you guys get hungry you can just heat up some Mac n Cheese or order take out. No cashews, he's allergic. If he gets sleepy, give him some milk before letting him nap."

 

"Okay." Jeonghan nods.

 

Seungcheol puts his hands on Jeonghan’s shoulders. Jeonghan can literally feel them trembling but he makes no mention of it.  "If anything goes wrong. Anything at all. Call me."

 

"Relax. I got it all under control." Jeonghan puts his hands on Seungcheol's shoulders playfully. "You just worry about work. I got the rest."

 

Seungcheol sighs. "Thank you. You know how to change a diaper? He's not potty trained that well yet."

 

Jeonghan’s shoulders hitch up to his ears. He completely forgot that 4 year old's shit their pants sometimes. "I-I....yeah? I can figure it out." He helped his aunt change her kid's diaper once.

 

Seungcheol’s yanks some bills out of his wallet and shoves them in Jeonghan’s hands. “Okay, well have fun."

 

"Wait, Seungcheol-" And he's out the door. Jeonghan turns to Dino who's staring at the door sadly. He awkwardly puts the money in his pocket.

 

"He'll be back soon." Jeonghan says to Dino. "He has to go fight the evil lizard kings minions."

 

Dino looks up at him and nods slowly. Jeonghan feels the air grow heavy.

 

"You wanna play hide and seek?" He suggests suddenly, clapping his hands.

 

Dino scrunches his face.

 

"No?" Jeonghan kneels down. "Come on! It'll be fun!" He says throwing his hands over his head in an attempt to excite Dino.

 

Dino pouts, thinking. "How you play?"

 

"I'll count to ten and you go hide. Then I have to come find you." Jeonghan says. "And then we switch and I go hide."

 

"Okie." Dino beams.

 

Jeonghan straightens up and turns around. "1...2...3...4...5..." He hears the shuffling. "...6...7...8...9...10! Get ready Dino, I'm coming!"

 

Jeonghan whips around with a grin but then stops in his tracks. Dino is still standing there, looking at him. Jeonghan flips his hair.

 

"You're suppose to be hiding." He says.

 

"I dunno where to go."

 

Jeonghan looks around. The living room is relatively small. One three seater sofa across from a TV. There's a sliding door that leads out to a balcony. The living room flows into an eat in kitchen and a hallway that leads to the bedrooms.

 

"Anywhere is fine. You just can't let me see you." Jeonghan says and turns back around.

 

He starts counting to Dino’s small frenzied footsteps. When he turns around, ready to commence the search, he snorts.

 

There's a tiny pair of feet in Mickey Mouse socks poking out from underneath the curtain.

 

"Oh, I wonder where Dino could be?" Jeonghan says aloud. Dino pokes his head out of the curtains, seeing Jeonghan, he giggles.

 

Jeonghan looks under the coffee table. "Is he under the table?" He walks to the television. "Is he behind the TV?"

 

"No." Dino's tiny voice wafts through the air as he holds back more giggles.

 

"Maybe..." Jeonghan strokes his chin, lost in faux thought. "Maybe he's behind the curtain!"

 

He runs to the curtain and pulls it aside. Dino falls forward laughing. Jeonghan helps him stand up and throws his hands in the air. "I found you!"

 

"I wanna play! I wanna play!" Dino exclaims and runs to the place where Jeonghan had been standing.

 

"You know how to count to ten Dino?" Jeonghan asks.

 

"Yup! Mrs Kim teached me!" Dino nods vigorously. He closes his eyes and turns around. "1...2...3..."

 

Jeonghan paces around the house, looking for a good place to hide when Dino turns around.

 

"What comes after 6?" He asks, wringing his fingers together.

 

"7." Jeonghan answers after a small pause. "7 comes after 6."

 

"Thank you!" He turns back around and starts counting from 1 again.

 

Jeonghan decides to hide in Dino's closet. The clothes smell like baby powder and there's a couple of stuffed animals littering the floor. He squats and grins. Dino will never find him here. He pulls out his phone to kill time.

 

You're babysitting Seungcheol’s kid, aren't you?  Jisoo has sent him a text.

 

Ya lol. Go 2 class, loser. Jeonghan snorts to himself.  

 

~

 

It's around the 10 minute mark when Jeonghan starts wondering why Dino hasn't found him yet. The apartment isn't that big, there's not that many places to hide. He staggers out of the closet and back into the living room, running his fingers through his hair.

 

"Dino?" He looks around. The tiny boy is nowhere in sight.

 

Jeonghan starts pacing around the house. He checks the kitchen, the bathroom, Dino's room, Seungcheol’s room, every closet and crook and cranny but nothing. "Dino?" His hysteria grows when he hears no response. "Dino?!"

 

When Jeonghan finds the front door unlocked is when he breaks into a run. "Dino?!" He shrieks, shuffling down the creaky stairs.

 

The air is cold and the sky is cloudy. He searches the entire plaza from corner to corner but nothing. The skater dudes from earlier are of no help.

 

He goes back to Seungcheol’s building and runs up the stairs, calling Dino's name over and over again, a dozen different scenarios forming in his mind. What if Dino had been kidnapped?

 

Jeonghan mumbles prayers under his breath. Reaching the third floor, he hears crying and feels his blood pressure shoot up.

 

He sprints to the roof and falls to his knees in relief. Dino is crying for him loudly, clutching his striped ball.

 

"Dino, I'm here." He calls weakly. Dino jumps in surprise but then turns to the sound of Jeonghan’s voice.

 

He waddles to him, dropping his ball, he crashes into Jeonghan’s lap and takes a shuddery breath.

 

"Why did you come up here? What were you thinking?" Jeonghan asks breathlessly, sitting him up.

 

"I dint f-find you!" Dino yells, big tears still sliding down his face.

 

"Why would I hide on the roof, Dino? Why would I leave the apartment?" Jeonghan asks reasonably, wiping Dino's face with his sleeve.

 

"Dunno..." Dino mumbles, looking down with a wobbly lip. "I just thought..."

 

Jeonghan pulls Dino into a hug and exhales hard. "Don't do that again. Don't leave the house by yourself, okay?"

 

"Okay..." Dino sniffs into his shoulder.

 

The apartment feels deathly cold for some reason and Jeonghan shivers. He flops onto the sofa with Dino on his lap and turns on the cartoons. Dino doesn't utter a word, his eyes focused on Mickey Mouse and the gang pulling their shenanigans on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Jeonghan sends Jisoo some random nonsensical texts and emoticons to kill time. He ignore Mingyu’s texts calling him an asswipe.

 

"Dino, buddy." Jeonghan yawns and pats his head after a few episodes. "Are ya hungry?"

 

Dino looks up at Jeonghan with a pout.

 

"What?" Jeonghan asks.

 

Dino's pout remains. He blinks. "Did I made you scared? When I goed up?"

 

"Scared?" Yes. "No, silly."

 

Jeonghan brushes Dino’s hair out of his face. "It was just dangerous and I didn't want you to get hurt."

 

"Papa goes up there lots." Dino goes back to watching TV.

 

Jeonghan stops himself from asking why.

 

"That's why I thoughted you went there." Dino starts playing with Jeonghan’s fingers.

 

"But I wasn't there, so you thought I left." Jeonghan looks down at Dino's small hands poking his own slender fingers. His blinks tiredly, feeling his eyes burn.

 

"Yeah." Dino mumbles and tugs the ring on Jeonghan’s pinky.

 

"I won't leave, Dino." Jeonghan says absently. "Not till Papa comes back."

 

"Promise?"

  
Jeonghan leans back on the sofa, holding in a yawn. 

 

"Promise."


	2. Chapter 2

"Jeonghan...Jeonghan.." Someone is shaking him awake.

 

He opens one eye slowly, keeping a tight grip on the small figure in his arms. Through the dim light, he sees Seungcheol’s face.

 

"Oh, you're back." Jeonghan says with a hoarse voice. He loosen his grip on Dino.

 

"Did you guys eat anything?" Seungcheol’s dark circles really do look a bit scary with this lighting. "Did you check to see if Dino leaked or anything? How long were you two asleep? The TV's been on the whole time."

 

Jeonghan sits up with a stiff neck, head too muddled to answer the questions being thrown at him. Dino is sprawled across his lap. Seungcheol sighs and takes Dino into his arms and straightens up, going into Dino’s room.

 

In this time Jeonghan pulls out his phone and finds that the clock has struck 9 pm and Jisoo has sent him six very concerned texts asking him where he is. Mingyu has called him a _fun-sucker._

 

_I'm fine, just fell asleep. Will be home soon._ _Srry for making u worry joshie_ _ >.<_ Jeonghan texts Jisoo. The joshie always gets him.

 

Seungcheol steps back into the living room, peeling off his blazer slowly and dumping it on the sofa.

 

"I'll make some dinner for you." He looks so tired.

 

Jeonghan watches his slow, almost robotic movements. Seungcheol is having trouble even keeping balance while slipping his shoes off. Jeonghan frowns but doesn’t make mention of it.

 

“You don’t have to make dinner.” He says instead. “I’m fine.”

 

Seungcheol looks mildly relieved but insists. “You sure?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Jeonghan smiles reassuringly and shoves his hands in his pocket, ignoring the knot in his stomach.

 

“Okay.” Seungcheol musters a small smile in return. “Thank you for looking after him.”

 

Jeonghan’s fingers curl around the bills in his pocket. He hesitates a moment before pulling them out and holding them out to Seungcheol.

 

“You gave these to me but I…” He trails off unsure of what to say.

 

Seungcheol shakes his head with a yawn. “They’re all yours.”

 

“You sure?” Jeonghan’s eyebrows knit as he holds the money to his chest.

 

Seungcheol’s response is cut off by the familiar sound of Dino crying. The knot in Jeonghan’s stomach twists a little harder and he can’t figure out why.

 

“This is your cue to go home and get some sleep.” Seungcheol then says to Jeonghan.

 

“Will you be okay by yourself?” Jeonghan blurts.

 

Seungcheol’s eyes widen a little and he tilts his head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

Dino's crying stings Jeonghan’s ears and he realizes he doesn’t want Seungcheol to be by himself. There’s an uncertain future ahead of all college students but it feels more scarier when Jeonghan looks at it from Seungcheol’s perspective, regardless of crazy rumors he might’ve heard about him. And Jeonghan wants to lighten the load on Seungcheol’s shoulders….somehow, somehow, but he doesn’t know what to do.

 

“I guess I’ll, um, see you later then?” He mumbles.

 

“Sure.” Seungcheol’s still looking at him like he’s trying to decipher Jeonghan’s thoughts.

 

Jeonghan instinctively coughs and hides his face, feeling too vulnerable. Seungcheol seems to catch the hint.

 

“Text me when you get back to the dorms, okay? Stay safe.” He pats Jeonghan’s shoulder and turns to go toward Dino's room, signaling it’s time for Jeonghan to leave.

 

When Jeonghan clicks his key into the lock and opens the door, Jisoo is fast asleep and Jeonghan trips over about 10 things laying on the floor, Jisoo is still fast asleep and Jeonghan climbs into bed unable to shake the image of a sleep deprived Seungcheol from his head.

 

~

 

“Hey!” Mingyu snaps in his face.

 

Jeonghan blinks out of his daze. They're in the library, Mingyu has some stupid forensics project to do and Jeonghan is, as always, here for the free snack.

 

“What?” He picks at a potato chip.

 

“Were you listening to a single word I said?” Mingyu asks.

 

“Something about...Wonwoo.” Jeonghan should really befriend people he actually likes.

 

“Nice try, asshole.” Mingyu rolls his eyes, tossing his pen on the table. “I was saying I'm having a little get together at my dorm this Sunday. Me, you, some other cool people, and just a blunt.”

 

Thrilling. Jeonghan pretends to contemplate the idea, munching on a chip. It wouldn't hurt to take a Sunday off. “Hmm...I guess I'll come.”

 

“Good. Don't bail on me like last time.” Mingyu flicks his forehead. “You have a gig at that bar tonight?”

 

“I mean, does it count as a gig?” Jeonghan rubs his forehead. “They can't get anyone else to give up Friday night to sing for middle aged accountants.”

 

“I'll drop by.” Mingyu starts to scribble in his notebook.

 

Jeonghan doubts he's actually gotten any work done. The oddity of the situation dawns on him.

 

“What's with you? Sacrificing your Friday to come watch me sing into a shitty sound system? And where's Wonwoo?” He asks.

 

Mingyu gets squeamish.

 

“What?” Jeonghan asks. “Wonwoo?”

 

Mingyu awkward shifts in his seat, pouting, scribbling a little more messily on a clean page of notebook paper.

 

“We’re taking a break.”

 

Jeonghan sighs, watching smears of blue ink taint the crisp white paper, suddenly the thought of Seungcheol enters his mind.

 

He grins absently and pulls his phone out and texts Seungcheol a smiley emoticon.

 

_Hi Jeonghan_. The reply is almost instant.

 

_Are you at work?_ Jeonghan asks.

 

_Class :(_

 

“Who’er you texting?” Mingyu asks suspiciously.

 

“No one.” Jeonghan absently twirled a lock of hair between his fingers.

 

_How's Dino?_ He can't help but ask.

 

_He can't wait for your next visit, asks about you every day._

 

Jeonghan can hear the smile in Seungcheol's text. He beams.

 

“Lemme see.” Mingyu snatches the phone out of Jeonghan’s hand.

 

“Hey! Give that back.” Jeonghan yells as loud as it is socially acceptable to yell in a library.

 

“You're texting _the_ Choi Seungcheol?” Mingyu flicks through the chat box. “Oh, this is rich.”

 

“Mingyu give it back.” Jeonghan tries to grab the phone but Mingyu keeps it out of reach.

 

“Is this why you were asking me about him the other day?”

 

“No!”

 

A librarian walks up to them and shushes them harshly.

 

“I am so sorry about him.” Mingyu turns to her. “I keep telling him to hush up but he just won't listen.” He points to Jeonghan.

 

Jeonghan snatches his phone back, making sure Mingyu didn't text anything absurd to Seungcheol.

 

“You're a fucking asshole.” Jeonghan bites at him once the librarian is gone.

 

“I know.” Mingyu crosses his arms on the table with a smirk. “Why are you getting all tangled up with Choi Cocaine and Cocaine Junior?”

 

“Shut up.” Jeonghan feels himself getting angry for real.

 

“What? You have a crush on him?” Mingyu taunts and Jeonghan knows he means no harm but he can't help but have his blood boil over how Mingyu’s talking about Seungcheol and Dino.

 

“I look after his kid sometimes. And we’re friends.” He says heatedly. “Go suck Wonwoo’s dick.”

 

The librarian shushes them from down the aisle.

 

“It's him, Ma'am. I'm telling you.” Mingyu points at Jeonghan again.

 

Jeonghan rolls his eyes.

 

“I'm going, okay?” He starts gathering his books and dumping them in his bag. “Maybe you can find some manners while I'm gone.”

 

“Alright. We still on for Sunday?”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“Fine. Have fun snorting crack off Seungcheol’s cock.”

 

Jeonghan heads out of the library and turns back to his phone texting lightning fast, impulsively, out of anger.

 

_I'm singing at that bar by_ _pizza-hut_ _tonight around 9. You should come._

 

He stops himself from saying _bring Dino_. It's a bar, dumbass.

 

_I’ll stop by on the way home!_

 

Jeonghan feels a little giddy at that and doesn't really stop to question why. He pads into the common hall, spotting Joshua, he walks over with a small wave.

 

“Studying hard?” Jeonghan asks, plopping down into a bean bag chair.

 

“Gotta get into law school.” Joshua shrugs, typing away rapidly on his laptop.

 

“Jisoo…” Jeonghan looks up at the ceiling. “When was the last time you had a crush on someone?”

 

“Crush?” Joshua asks. “I haven't used that word since 9th grade.”

 

Jeonghan groans.

 

“Why? You have a crush on someone?” Joshua asks, still typing like a nut.

 

“Mingyu’s playing mind games with me.” Jeonghan looks up at Joshua who has stopped typing.

 

“Mingyu?” Joshua rolls his eyes. “He's been playing mind games with himself ever since Wonwoo dumped him.”

 

Jeonghan sighs.

 

“If this is about Seungcheol, however.” Joshua tucks his pencil behind his ear and starts digging through his backpack. “Be careful.”

 

Jeonghan frowns, stopping himself from asking why, remembering that time in the grocery store when Joshua immediately became rigid and distant upon meeting Seungcheol.

 

“He's not a bad guy.” Jeonghan says quietly.

 

Joshua doesn't answer, seemingly immersed in whatever he's reading on his laptop.

 

Jeonghan gets up and leaves.

 

~~~~

 

8:30 hits and Jeonghan is sipping a bottle of soju at the table off to the side as some guy who's clearly not a professional does a sound check on the mic. Jeonghan twirls his hair, absently thinking about that psychology project he hasn’t finished that's due Monday.

He likes to let his hair down for the bar. People usually comment more on his hair than his singing and that relieves Jeonghan a little. Singing on the dim stage, even if no one’s listening, still gives him the butterflies.

 

9:05 hits and the DJ gestures for Jeonghan to get up on stage.

The music is jazzy, too loud, Jeonghan gets drowned out easily. He doesn’t mind because he doesn’t really remember the lyrics to the song, or the name of the song. His eyes stayed glued to the door, waiting for Seungcheol to walk in any moment.

 

The song ends. Nothing.

 

Jeonghan frowns a little, feeling his heart sink a little. The next song starts and Jeonghan mumbles his way through it, surveying the crowd that's only half listening. An older woman is giving him bedroom eyes and he makes a mental note to avoid her once his set is over. He closes his eyes, yellow lights dance across his vision, an absent thought of _what happens after this_ enters his mind. Where does he go after getting his bachelor's in a major no one really looks for? The world was built for doctors, lawyers, businessmen, prostitutes and their pimps; not for Jeonghan, not for Seungcheol. The world was built against Seungcheol. What will happen to him?

 

The third song ends. There's scattered applause.  Jeonghan's mood turns melancholic as he takes a small minute to sip some soju and then sip some water. The door opens and Jeonghan's ears perk but it's only the bar's owner walking in with a lady friend.

 

Jeonghan smiles at the crowd and cues for the DJ to start the fourth song. A funky beat sounds and someone from the bar shouts “I love this song!”

Jeonghan even finds some excitement because this is a really good song from the 90s that all their parents know the words and they can sound words out too.A few people at the tables begin to clap to the beat. Jeonghan's singing gains a little confidence because fuck yes, he loves _Don't Leave Me_ by Park Jin Young.

 

And for those 4 minutes, it actually feels like Friday night.

The door opens again just as the song is ending and Jeonghan would jump for joy if he could. He's already giddy, buzzed from soju, buzzed from 90s pop, buzzed from eye contact with the person he was waiting for all night.

 

10:05, the last song of his set is a slower song, another one from the 90s to appeal to the bar's demographic of newlywed people who hate their jobs.

The ones who've heard this particular song before say it's a sad song but Jeonghan doesn't think so. He can't exactly remember the name but the melody always sticks with him, he's known the song since he was very little.

 

He smiles at the man standing with his back toward the farther end, arms folded, a faint tired smile on his lips.

 

Jeonghan's voice cracks as he opens the verse.

 

_You may not be more beautiful that a rose,_

 

The man at the end of the bar breaks into a grin as Jeonghan sheepishly continues.

 

_But your scent is stronger._

 

He gives him an encouraging thumbs up. Jeonghan's cheeks grow red.

 

_You may not be brighter than the moon,_

 

_But you're warmer._

 

The piano accompaniment starts to play louder, typical sound problems, and lights dim a little more and that buzz of soju is wearing off but there's a different kind of buzz in Jeonghan now.

 

Verses go by. People begin to get up, mainly because who closes with a ballad? and because their glass is empty or to simply call it a night.

Jeonghan doesn't mind, carrying on with the last part of the song, enjoying the stage for the first time ever. There's glitter in his vision because for the first time ever, whether he knows it or not, he's singing to someone.

 

_Whenever I want to cry,_

 

_I think of you,_

 

Jeonghan for the first time ever realizes the lyrics to the song. Partly because of how corny they are and partly because of what they mean.

He pauses, a little shaken up. The man at the back of the bar mouths a small “keep going”. He gives a slight nod before the piano recording can speed ahead of him.

 

_And your reflection in a smile._

 

And that's it. Three or four people who were still listening applaud. Jeonghan adjusts the mic stand, clearing his throat awkwardly, for the first time ever realizing the sadness behind the song.

He steps off the stage after a small bow, gathers his wallet, throws on his jacket, and makes a beeline for the man waiting for him by the door.

 

“Hey.”

 

“You came.” Jeonghan's voice is worn.

 

They step outside into the cool air. A street patroller walks past them, tipping his hand politely.

 

Jeonghan turns to Seungcheol with a happy sigh. Seungcheol's smile is warmer than the moon and he opens his arms wide. Jeonghan breaks into a giggle and hugs him tight, absently registering a particular scent of cologne. They part and Seungcheol is still grinning warmly.

 

He shrugs his shoulders.

 

“You were lovely up there.”

 

Jeonghan bites his lip, immediately feeling embarrassed, hiding his face in his hands. “Agh! Don't say that!”

 

“You were amazing! I was starstruck!” Seungcheol exclaims, forcing Jeonghan's hands off his face.

 

Jeonghan avoids his eyes, feeling his face grow hotter and hotter as Seungcheol laughs.

 

“Yoon Jeonghan.” He sticks his hands out, envisioning impending stardom. “New hot rising idol.”

 

Jeonghan hits his arm playfully. “ _Stop it_.”

 

“Oh, I wish I recorded that.” Seungcheol throws his arm around Jeonghan as they walk. “It felt like you were singing just to me.”

 

Jeonghan breaks into embarrassed giggles again unsure of what else to do. That giddiness is still in his stomach.

 

“Oi, look who it is!” An all too familiar cocky voice floats to Jeonghan's ears.

 

He and Seungcheol turn around to see Mingyu trotting after them, red faced.

 

“Oh! And he's here with Mr. Bigshot!” Mingyu slurs and throws his arm over Seungcheol's shoulder.

 

“Who is this?” Seungcheol mouths to Jeonghan.

 

Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “I told you not to come, Mingyu.”

 

“Are you kidding? Why wouldn’t I come and not support my friend?” His speech is heavily slurred. “Did you hear me cheering?”

 

Jeonghan pinches his nose bridge.

 

Mingyu looks at Seungcheol with a grin. “How's the underground going, hyung?”

 

“The underground?”

 

“Yeah! Girls, drugs, and booze. Something like that?” Mingyu animatedly moves his hands as he talks. “Must be hard to balance all that with school life and raising an heir to the throne.”

 

Seungcheol looks remotely disappointed more than anything else but he forces a small smile.

 

“Ah…” he starts. “I don’t know where you heard all that from but…”

 

“Mingyu, get off him.” Jeonghan interrupts and pulls Mingyu off of Seungcheol. “Go inside. You’re drunk.”

 

“Don’t need you to tell me that, blue balls.” Mingyu salutes. “Have fun riding big Cheol's chode.”

 

And he's off.

 

Jeonghan covers his face in embarrassment. “I am so sorry.” He mutters.

 

“It's okay, he used to come to a lot of my room-mates floor parties when he was a fresh-men. It's not my first encounter.” Seungcheol shrugs.

 

Jeonghan wonders if Seungcheol knows what people say about him. They start to walk again.

 

“He’s not the first person to say shit like that either.” Seungcheol absently kicks a pebble.

 

“You know about the rumors?”

 

“People still come up to me on campus asking for the good stuff.” He makes air quotes around “good stuff” and laughs. “To the point where I tried selling powdered sugar for a few days to see what would happen.”

 

Jeonghan guffaws.

 

A gust of wind blows through them. Jeonghan shivers in his thin jacket. Seungcheol notices.

 

“Sorry. I would give you my jacket but I’m only wearing a T-shirt under this.”

 

“I’ll live.” Jeonghan smiles, hiding the chatter of his teeth.

 

“Will you?” Seungcheol asks, facing him with a dreamy look in his eyes. “I think we should head back to the car.”

 

“We can talk.” Jeonghan insists.

 

Seungcheol grins, exhaling chilly night air, it comes out in opaque wisps of condensation.

 

“We could talk for hours.” He says.

 

Jeonghan sniffs, wrapping his arms around his waist tightly. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

 

“Yeah?” Seungcheol raises his eyebrows. “And freeze your ass off in the process?”

 

Jeonghan giggles, eyes watering from the wind, butterflies of giddiness in his stomach.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Seungcheol's phone starts ringing. He stops and digs through his pockets for it. Jeonghan waits patiently, taking him in, his big poofy jacket that's more functional than anything else, hair sweaty from working, ruffled from the haste he probably took getting to the bar, hands are shaking slightly as he holds the phone up to his ear.

 

The giddiness in Jeonghan's stomach starts to fade away. Seungcheol looks a lot skinnier than when Jeonghan saw him last.

 

Seungcheol frowns and turns his back to Jeonghan, putting his palm over his other ear to hear his call better.

The giddiness in Jeonghan's stomach is gone completely as he faintly hears the distressed cries on the other end of the line. Seungcheol ends the call with “I'll be there.”

 

“Sorry about that.” He finally turns back around with a nervous smile. “Do you need a ride home?”

 

“Is Dino home alone?” Jeonghan asks, recognizing the look on Seungcheol's face.

 

“Uh, no, I left a friend with him. He's been getting a lot of bad dreams so I..uh...” Seungcheol scratches his head. “I do have to get home, though. I was hoping we could've hung out a little longer.”

 

“I can come on the ride with you.”

 

“I don't wanna waste your Friday night with parenting duties.” Seungcheol says as they head to the parking lot.

 

“I don't have anything else I'm doing…” Jeonghan shoots a blank. “Maybe...maybe Dino will feel better if I...uh..”

 

They reach his car.

 

“Well, you're his favorite hyung.” Seungcheol unlocks it. “You sure you don't want me to just drop you off at the dorms?”

 

“I'm sure.” Jeonghan nods firmly and plops into the passenger side.

 

“Alright.” Seungcheol hums and starts the car.

 

The city lights blink desperately at Jeonghan and suddenly he's hit with memories of a promise to bring Dino his favorite snack.

 

“Before we go to your place…” Jeonghan speaks up as they turn out of the street. “Can we stop at a convenience store? I have to pick something up.”

 

“Is it important?” Seungcheol asks.

 

“Very important.”

 

The car ride is spent in slightly tense silence after that. Jeonghan asks one question after minutes of contemplation.

 

“What does Dino dream about?”

 

“He doesn't tell me.”

 

~

 

Once Seungcheol turns the key in the lock, Jeonghan wishes he could thank every star in the sky for the magnificence that is electricity and heat. However, the hallelujah chorus is cut short at the sound of sobbing.

 

“Oh thank fucking God, you're here!” There's a short guy with blonde highlights sitting on the sofa with Dino in his arms.

 

He stands up.

 

Seungcheol peels his jacket off, drops it on the floor and immediately goes toward him.

 

“Oh baby…” He coos sadly, taking Dino into his own arms. “I'm so sorry, baby…”

 

Dino sniffs, hiding his face in the crook of Seungcheol's neck, clutching his shirt tightly with trembling hands.

 

“I have a gig tomorrow so can I head out?” the blond guy starts through a yawn, zipping his sweatshirt up.

 

“Yeah sorry for keeping you longer than expected, Jihoonnie.” Seungcheol mumbles, rubbing small circles on Dino's back

 

“Prior notice next time would be good.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

Jeonghan grapples with the plastic bag in his hands, eyes flitting from Dino to Jihoonnie as Seungcheol tries to calm the tremors rocking Dino's body. Jihoonnie gives Jeonghan an awkward nod before padding out the door.

 

“Dino, look bud...” he whispers, turning to face Jeonghan. “Look who came to see you, baby.”

 

Jeonghan swallows the lump in his throat.

 

“Hi, Dino.” He starts. “I brought you a surprise.”

 

Dino clutches Seungcheol a little tighter, mumbling something.

 

Seungcheol ruffles his hair. A few more minutes pass.

 

Dino sniffs before finally straightening up and looking around with bloodshot eyes. Seungcheol calmly pushes his hair out of his face, wiping his cheeks with his sleeve.

 

“Hi, buddy.” Jeonghan waves and takes the package of Oreos out of the plastic. “Look, I kept my promise!”

 

Dino hiccups and gives a little giggle, tears still sliding down his face.

 

“Hi.”

 

“Jeonghan-hyung went all the way across the ocean to get these for you.” Seungcheol says and pads a thumb across Dino's cheek.

 

Dino rubs his eye and smiles. “Thank you, Jeonghan-hyung.”

 

“Look at you, huh?” Jeonghan says with a small grin. “All snotty and slimey.”

 

Dino sniffs and laughs, resting his head on Seungcheol's shoulder. He reaches his hand out in Jeonghan's direction.

 

Jeonghan at first doesn't understand what to do, only stares at it in confusion until Dino straightens up and reaches for Jeonghan's hand. Then something swells in Jeonghan's chest as Dino's fist wraps around three of his fingers. He can't quite explain it. Like the feeling of seeing the sun rise or the smell of water droplets on leaves. Dino's hand breathes a feeling of calm into Jeonghan.

 

Seungcheol's got this goofy smile on his face as he looks at their hands. He himself looks so fucking tired but all of that is secondary right now. Jeonghan locks eyes with him and for some time they breathe in sync.

Dino sneezes unexpectedly and that breaks it. Jeonghan's maybe still buzzed from the soju when he steps forward, chuckling slightly and leaves a small peck on Dino's head, and then after a moment of hesitation, a kiss on Seungcheol's cheek.

 

Seungcheol's beam only grows from that.

 

“Thank you very much for that and not to ruin the moment.” He says. “But I've been holding my piss all day, so if you’ll excuse me.”

 

Jeonghan laughs, cheeks a little red as he watches Seungcheol set Dino down and turn and disappear down the hallway.

 

“Thanks for da Oreos, Jeonghan-hyung.” Dino chirps, back to his animated self, only a bit subdued, probably tired from lack of sleep.

 

“No problem, buddy.” Jeonghan goes into the lounge and sets the pack on the coffee table. Dino pads after him like a little duck.

 

Jeonghan sits down on the sofa and Dino clambers on and sits next to him. Jeonghan wonders if he should ask.

 

Dino saves him from the anxiety and brings it up himself.

 

“Papa always tells me the bad dreams aren't real.” He kicks his feet. “But I gets scared, y’know.” He pouts. “‘Cause what if it is real?”

 

“Why, buddy?” Jeonghan asks. “What do you dream about?”

 

Dino frowns, kicking a little harder, concentrating in thought. He looks up at Jeonghan with big eyes. Jeonghan wipes the last bit of booger on Dino's face with his sleeve, a small smile flitting on his face purely at the action.

 

“You don't like telling Papa what happens in your dreams, do you?” He asks.

 

Dino shakes his head and leans against Jeonghan's side.

 

“Because I know I’ll made him scared.”

 

“Do you wanna tell me? Talking about what scares you makes it feel less scary sometimes.” Jeonghan suggests, gently petting Dino's head.

 

“I gets scared…” He mumbles.

 

Jeonghan hums, running his fingers through Dino's hair.

 

“That Papa will...be far far away and...I won't get him back.” Dino's voice gets smaller and smaller. “And never see him again...ever.”

 

Jeonghan's fingers stop in the midst of Dino's hair. A lump efficiently finds it's way into Jeonghan's throats and suddenly he feels scared too.

 

“Dino, baby.” Seungcheol's voice comes from the hallway. “Time to go back to bed.”

 

He emerges same as ever but Jeonghan can't help but frown and feel a building wetness behind his eyes.

 

Dino hops off the sofa and goes to Seungcheol immediately and they disappear down the hall again, leaving Jeonghan alone to claw at the edges of his sleeves.

 

Seungcheol will be far far away and Dino will never see him again ever. A numbness washes over Jeonghan and the passage of time suddenly becomes minuscule. Something in the back of his head promises that he’ll never let that happen.

 

“Sorry for the wait.” Seungcheol has come back into the lounge, wearing some sweatpants and a Mickey Mouse long sleeve.

 

Jeonghan stands up on wobbly leather pant clad legs and faces him, wanting to say something but unsure of what. Seungcheol's weight loss looks more obvious now.

 

“What?” Seungcheol asks with a smirk before raising his eyebrows. “Oh, I know.”

 

He leans forward and leaves a gentle kiss on Jeonghan's cheek. That blows through all of Jeonghan's cemented anxieties.

 

“Fair?” Seungcheol asks with a crooked grin.

 

Jeonghan chuckles, looking down. “Fair.”

 

“What?” Seungcheol tries to meet his gaze. “You didn’t want that?”

 

“No...no, I liked it. I’m glad today happened.” Jeonghan looks up. “The bar was fun.”

 

“The bar was 10 minutes of talking before life intervened. And apparently, we could talk to each other for hours.” Seungcheol gives him a look. “What's bothering you?”

 

Jeonghan knows in his heart of hearts that Dino would never forgive him if he told Seungcheol about his dreams.

 

“Do you go up to the rooftop a lot?” He asks instead.

 

Seungcheol looks taken aback. “What?”

 

“The rooftop. On the third floor.”

 

Seungcheol takes a second to look at Jeonghan seriously and Jeonghan figures out in that moment that he probably should not have asked that question.

 

“I was just curious.” He mumbles. “If it was like a thing here or something.”

 

A pause.

 

“Well, thank you for insisting on coming over.” Seungcheol changes the subject. “It helped.”

 

Jeonghan finds a grin again.

 

“I can look after Dino whenever you want me to." He suggests.

 

“No.” Seungcheol shakes his head. "You should focus on school. I can't afford a babysitter right now, anyway."

 

"I don't need the money." Jeonghan says. “I'm his hyung. Dino would love it too.”

 

Seungcheol shakes his head, yawning. Jeonghan sighs.

 

"Come on."  He steps forward.

 

"I'm not gonna have you waste your time on my kid and not get paid for it." Seungcheol says.

 

"I wouldn't be wasting my time." Jeonghan starts but Seungcheol cuts him off, seemingly out of patience.

 

"I'm sorry but my final answer is no, Jeonghan."

 

Jeonghan stares at him in defiance. "Why?”

 

There's a pause. Seungcheol can't seem to come up with a reason.

 

"You're clearly having trouble managing on your own. What's so wrong with me trying to help you out?" Jeonghan asks.

 

“There's nothing wrong with it.” Seungcheol retorts. “I just don't want that.”

 

“Then what do you want?” Maybe it's the soju that's still in Jeonghan's system. “To be unable to manage what you do have and then something terrible happens to it?”

 

Dino's words echo in Jeonghan's mind. His knees get a little weaker.

 

“Are you saying I’m not capable of providing for Dino on my own?” Seungcheol demands.

 

‘Seungcheol…” Jeonghan softens at the hard look on Seungcheol's face. “I just want to help…”

 

"I don't want your pity-babysitting." Seungcheol answers.

 

There's a stretch of silence. The clock ticks away some seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4...

 

“You think this is pity?” Jeonghan blinks, his lips become dry.

 

Seungcheol’s expression melts into regret at the hurt in Jeonghan's voice.

 

“I didn't mean it like that.” He steps closer, struggling with his words. Jeonghan doesn't move. “I love that we’ve gotten close and I love that Dino looks up to you so much...but I don’t want this.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Jeonghan's can see Seungcheol curling into himself, putting up defenses he wishes he could take down but it's a big bad world out there and it's not just himself he has to worry about. Jeonghan wants to just leave it at that. Say he understands where Seungcheol is coming from, because he does, but at the same time, there's something that keeps pulling him back to Seungcheol's apartment, something keeps making him pick up the phone to text him. Something that's not pity, something that's far away from pity.

 

"Listen..It's been a long day and I haven't slept at all and-" Seungcheol's speaking but Jeonghan's got his own defensives up now.

 

"I get it."

 

"No Jeonghan, that's not what I mean, I-"

 

"Sorry about all this, I'll just..." Jeonghan starts to head to the door. "I shouldn't be forcing myself into your life like this anyway.”

 

Jeonghan…”

 

Jeonghan stops to look at him. There's longing in his eyes.

 

“Get home safe.”

 

~

 

When he reaches the dorms, Jisoo is sound asleep in his bed but their shared room feels weirdly cold and empty. Jeonghan can't help but think something's missing.

 

He lays down in bed but doesn't go to sleep. Dino's words play in his mind instead. He pulls out his phone and forces himself to be immersed in Toontown.

  
  


Jeonghan avoids Seungcheol like the plague after that. He doesn't go near the diner he works at. If he sees Seungcheol in the library, he walks out immediately and goes to the cafeteria. If he sees Seungcheol in the cafeteria, he immediately goes to the library.

 

The arrangement works but Jeonghan, although he feels embarrassed to admit it, misses Seungcheol dearly. That tug that pulls him toward Seungcheol gets stronger, gets more urgent. He can’t focus. Baby blue linen and oreo crumbs on Joshua's writing desk bring a weird pang to his chest and Jeonghan wishes it would just die, that he could just forget about this phase of his life where he befriended a rumored drug dealer and kissed him and his kid. But that pull is still there no matter how much Jeonghan ignores it.

 

"Seungcheol asked about you today." Jisoo calls his attention as they walk to the library together.

 

Jeonghan tenses up. "What did he say?"

 

"Just asked how you were doing." Jisoo replies casually. "Why?"

 

Jeonghan plays with the edge of his psychology paper. "Oh."

 

The next two weeks, Jeonghan survives on shots of five-hour energy drinks and SparkNotes. Midterms come and go, and Seungcheol is nowhere to be seen. Jeonghan doesn't know whether he should feel relieved or feel sad. His caffeine high makes it hard to focus on one thing for too long.

 

He's drunk and high out of his mind with Mingyu and Wonwoo at some diner a few days later. Everything is blurry and he orders a cherry sorbet even though he hates cherries and he hates sorbet. Mingyu starts flirting with the waiter and Wonwoo wails loudly in protest.

 

"Why don't you love me like that?!" He collapses onto Mingyu’s lap. “This is why I dumped you!”

 

"Can I get extra whipped cream on my sorbet?" Jeonghan mumbles at the waiter.

 

"We don't put whipped cream on our sorbets." A familiar voice answers him.

 

Jeonghan squints up at the waiter with his mouth hanging open. He's got honey brown hair and a frown that Jeonghan's seen only once before, but he just can't seem to place it.

 

"Okay but can you do it anyways?" He asks.

 

"No. Is that all?"

 

"Wait! Hold it!" Mingyu exclaims. He pulls a small ziplock bag out of his pocket. "Sprinkle this on the pizza."

 

"This is weed." The waiter says, taking the bag.

 

"You think I don't know that, tuts?!" Mingyu guffaws.

 

Jeonghan giggles to himself, feeling his eyes close. " _Extra_ whipped cream."

 

-

 

Jeonghan wakes up with a painful knot in his neck. He sits up, pushing his hair out of his face. It's still dark, he's still tipsy as hell, he's still high as hell, it smells like cherries.

 

"You're awake. Good." Seungcheol slides a bill in front of him. "Your friends left. They said you'd pay for them."

 

Jeonghan leans back in his seat and let's out a long whine, shaking his fist in the air.

 

"Curse you, Mingyu!" He slurs.

 

Seungcheol clicks his tongue, wiping the table in front of Jeonghan. He picks up the toppled over sorbet glass and the half eaten pizza and turns to go.

 

Jeonghan takes the time to fumble with the receipt. "Thr-three.." He squints trying to read the tiny numbers.

 

"32500 won." Seungcheol is back with his tray against his hip. "Unless you want to order anything else."

 

Jeonghan looks up at Seungcheol, the dim light of the diner makes it difficult to see. He opens his mouth to say something, but his mind is too foggy.

 

Seungcheol scrunches his eyebrows. "Can you call someone to get you?"

 

"I-...no." Jeonghan closes his eyes and rests his head on the table. Jisoo is visiting his parents. At times like this Jeonghan wishes he had more friends.

 

"Jeonghan, don't fall asleep, the place closes in like ten minutes." Seungcheol shakes his shoulder but Jeonghan doesn't budge.

 

"You have this under control Seungcheol-ssi?" A high pitched voice comes into earshot.

 

"Yeah, he's just a friend. I'll figure it out."

 

"Alright. You can clock out for the night anytime."

 

"Of course."

 

There's shuffling footsteps and Seungcheol shakes Jeonghan again. "Hey, I'll drive you home, okay?"

 

"Don't have..the...key.." Jeonghan straightens up and shakes his head with a pout. "Lost it at...da party."

 

Seungcheol exhales exasperatedly. "Alright well, get up. You're coming with me."

 

"Oh!" Jeonghan exclaims. "Where are we going?"

 

"C'mon, up we go." Seungcheol sets his tray on the table and grabs Jeonghan by the arm, awkwardly half hoisting him out of the seat.

 

They stagger out of the diner without knocking anything over by some odd miracle. Seungcheol’s car smells like baby powder as he ignites the engine. Jeonghan gets comfortable, sinking down into his seat with a goofy smile.

 

“Sit up and put your seatbelt on, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol says as he backs out.

 

Jeonghan looks at Seungcheol’s side profile illuminated by the moonlight. He giggles, poking Seungcheol’s dimple.

 

"Jeonghan, put your seatbelt on." Seungcheol chides. "I'm not in the mood."

 

"Okay, okay." Jeonghan slurs and clumsily buckles himself in. “Mister bossy pants.”

 

He turns to Seungcheol again. The corners of his mouth are drooping down in the most melancholic way as he turns out of the parking lot.

 

"You look sad." Jeonghan states dumbly and pokes his dimple.

 

"I'm not."

 

"But you look it." Jeonghan sighs exaggeratedly. "I'm sad too, y'know?"

 

Then a hint of a smile plays on Seungcheol's lips. "Why are you sad, Jeonghan?"

 

"I'm sad because I think I like you but I don't know what to do." Jeonghan flops over and hits his chin hard on Seungcheol's shoulder. "Oww..."

 

There's silence for a long long time, Jeonghan can't quite understand what it means so he uses it to hum a song.

 

"Why do you like me, Jeonghan?" Seungcheol's voice is patient when he speaks again. It's careful.

 

"I like you because...because.." Jeonghan thinks hard. His hair falls on his face. "...hmm."

 

Finally, he beams at Seungcheol. "I like you just because."

 

"Just because?" Seungcheol asks with a small chuckle.

 

"Just because." Jeonghan sing songs and rests his head on Seungcheol's shoulder.

 

"That's very nice of you."

 

"Isn't it?! But I feel like you don't like me back." Jeonghan exclaims but then pouts, slumping back into his seat.

 

"Why is that?"

 

"Because you yelled at me." Jeonghan mumbles, playing with his bangs. "Remember? I was so sad about that."

 

"Oh, I remember that." Seungcheol says as he parks the car. "I'm sorry for yelling."

 

"It's okay." Jeonghan stares at the moon. "Do you like me too?"

 

"I do." Seungcheol kills the engine and takes his seatbelt off, getting out of the car.

  
Jeonghan fumbles with his own car door before stepping outside. It's so cold. He shivers and clumsily follows Seungcheol up the stairs, collapsing onto the sofa immediately after Seungcheol unlocks the door.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Jeonghan wakes up with a migraine and bile climbing up his throat, stumbling blindly into the bathroom, not really bothering to turn on the lights. A faint thought creeps up his head.

 

_The dorm sure looks different._

 

He kneels back from the toilet after puking, scratching his head at that bitter aftertaste lingers in his mouth. It isn't until he straightens up in front of the bathroom sink to wash his hands when he notices two toothbrushes. Neither of which look to be his or Joshua's. One is tall, white, with simple bristles, and then there's a smaller one, with red, black, and white accents, mimicking a certain cartoon character Jeonghan knows so well but the ache in his temples and his body demanding _why the fuck are you awake?_ won't let any images form in his brain.

 

He scratches his head and looks around, realizing he's still a little tipsy. The bathroom is dark, the only light is coming from the door slightly ajar across the hall. In the hall on the floor, is a little blue boot.

 

Jeonghan realizes where he is and a wave of tension falls on his shoulders.

Last night. He was at Mingyu’s floor with Wonwoo, feeling marijuana fumes a little too much when they stumbled into his room blindly, away from the other kids, about to undress each other and fuck but last minute Mingyu’s stomach grumbled and he decided it was a good time for a snack.

 

Wonwoo, being the most sober but just barely, drove them to that diner and Jeonghan sang songs from 2009 louder and with more zeal every time Mingyu told him to shut up and insisted that Everytime We Touch by Cascada was a bad song.

 

The rest is a blur except for the scent of cherries and the moon in the sky.

 

Jeonghan carefully goes toward Seungcheol’s room, wondering why his light is still on and then he hears the sound of fingers on a keyboard and the rustle of papers. It clicks.

 

He peers inside. Seungcheol is sitting criss cross applesauce with a laptop in his lap but he's leaning to the side, reading off his notebook, biting his lip, eyebrows scrunched deep in thought, eyebags as present as ever, scruff on his jaw that Jeonghan vaguely registers. There's a small figure asleep under the comforter beside him. It looks too big to be Dino however.

 

Jeonghan feels weird at that. Who could it be? He feels a pang in his chest, trying to get a better look without being noticed. He sees the digital clock on the bedside read a stark 4:43 AM.

 

“Do you need something, Jeonghan?” Seungcheol’s voice is hushed but it still carries and sends an unexpected shiver down Jeonghan’s spine.

 

He surrenders, awkwardly walking into the room.

 

“Did you see me?” He asks.

 

“Heard you. In the bathroom.” Seungcheol looks up, hair shagged on his forehead much differently from how it's usually swooped out of his face. He waits for Jeonghan to say something.

 

“I just...I-um…” Jeonghan starts twirling a strand of (knotted) hair between his fingers. He looks at the figure next to Seungcheol but his face is almost entirely covered by the comforter, only pink hair peeks out.

 

“Why are you up so late?” He finally decides.

 

“I usually wake up around this time to do stuff for my classes.” Seungcheol shrugs.

 

He's still waiting for Jeonghan to say something but Jeonghan doesn't know what. He remembers the disagreement they had in the living room a few weeks ago. His confidence pools at his feet at that, willing the ground to swallow him whole. Does Seungcheol want an apology?

 

“You're making me feel weird standing there. Come sit down.” He offers.

 

Jeonghan hesitates, eyed flitting once again to the figure next to Seungcheol, but Seungcheol is only looking at him. Expectantly.

 

Jeonghan goes and sits on the bed, the throbbing of his temples suddenly far away, irrelevant. The much more pressing issue of _why am I here?_ and _should I apologize to him about that night?_ leave no room in his mind.

 

“I don't remember coming over for a slumber party. ” he jokes nervously realizing hes still tipsy, looking at the Donald Duck sticker on the back of Seungcheol’s laptop.

 

“Your friends forgot you at the diner, that's all.” Seungcheol says. “And you said something about not having your keys.” He shuts his laptop and puts it aside. “I figured you didn't want to be left out on the streets either.”

 

Jeonghan blinks.

 

“T-thank you, Seungcheol.”

 

Seungcheol smiles at him. There's no malice or stiffness behind it. It's just a plain, kind of tired, smile. Different from his usual ones.

 

“Can I help you with anything?” Jeonghan’s shoulders relax a little as he gestures to Seungcheol’s books. “Like take notes for you...or something.”

 

“It's civil procedure, I doubt you'd get what to write down.” Seungcheol’s smile sweetens as he closes his eyes slowly and shakes his head. That's the smile Jeonghan knows.

 

“You're pre-law? Jisoo too.” Jeonghan chirps, for some reason happy that Seungcheol has something in common with his best friend.

 

“Mhm. And you?” Seungcheol asks,

 

“Just economics and stuff like that.” Jeonghan says sheepishly. “I'm not a big bad law student.”

 

“Ah, that's still cool though.” Seungcheol tells him.

 

“I guess.” Jeonghan shrugs. “What goes on in the morning? It's Saturday, right?”

 

“Internship unfortunately.” Seungcheol pouts cutely. Jeonghans heart thumps.  “Till 2 pm.”

 

“I have to drop Jihoon off at the studio too.” He gestures to the figure sleeping next to him. “He hasn't gone to see you sing at the bar once.”

 

“That's okay, I’m not a kpop idol waiting to be discovered.” Jeonghan laughs, mildly relieved it's not someone like a girlfriend.

 

 _It's none of your business who is in Seungcheols life_ , a tiny nasty voice reminds him.

 

“You're definitely handsome enough to be one.” Seungcheol compliments. It's genuine.

 

Jeonghans cheeks redden at that, he hides his face in his hands. Seungcheol laughs, pulling his hands away.

 

“Is this a habit?” He's grinning and Jeonghan blushes harder.

 

“No!”

 

Seungcheol shushes him abruptly at that, glancing to the figure in bed next to them.

 

“Sorry.” Jeonghan whispers as they lock eyes again, shoulders hunched, Jeonghans hands in Seungcheols, faces only inches away.

 

They break down into blissful giggles again. A breath of wind floats in from who knows where, the window is closed, but it's comfortable.

 

“I should probably shower.” Seungcheol mumbles, running a hand through his hair.

 

“This early?”

 

“Yeah. I have to leave by 7.”

 

“So early.” Jeonghans heart stings.

 

“Mhm.” Seungcheol nods, lips pursed, big eyes childishly sad.

 

“And…” He hesitates. “Dino's daycare doesn't open until 9...so,”

 

Jeonghan already knows his answer.

 

“What's my mission?” He brings his legs up and folds them beneath him.

 

Seungcheol laughs quietly, covering his mouth. Jeonghan grins, feeling a sense of victory.

 

“You just have to drop him off.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Jeonghan salutes.

 

Seungcheol gives way to another breathy laugh before going to pick his pen up. He grabs Jeonghan’s arm and scribbles the address on there the same way he had done the first time.

 

Jeonghan bites his lip, trying not to smile too wide. They've forgiven each other, it seems.

 

With his worries dissipated, Jeonghan’s migraine comes to the forefront of his attention again.

He rests a hand on the back of his head, frowning. He's got cottonmouth too apparently.

 

Seungcheol notices. “Hungover?”

 

“Drunk.”

 

“Makes sense.” Seungcheol sets his laptop aside and gets up quietly, stepping out of the room.

 

Makes sense? Jeonghan gets up and follows. Is he doing something wrong?

 

Seungcheol is in the kitchen, pulling a frying pan out of the cabinet, and getting two eggs out of the fridge.

 

“Seungcheol, you don't have to.” Jeonghan starts to protest but Seungcheol gives him a stern look.

 

Jeonghan recoils, sitting down at the table. Seungcheol has his back toward Jeonghan as he flicks the stovetop on. He's not as menacing like this.

 

A minute passes as the oil in the pan heats up.

 

Jeonghan drags his tongue over his bottom lip absently, eyes trailing down the expanse of Seungcheol’s shoulders, the way his shirt clings to the dip between his shoulder blades, his torso is thinner, longer, and Jeonghan gulps at the swell of hip right below it. It takes everything in his being to not comment something ridiculous about Seungcheol’s butt, his sweatpants are hugging his curves a little too well in Jeonghan’s opinion.

 

“Do you work out?” Fuck.

 

Seungcheol looks over his shoulder, snorting at Jeonghan’s expression probably. Jeonghan turns red.

 

“When I have time, yeah.”

 

_What machines? How many reps? And what do you do for that ass?_

 

Jeonghan bites his lip. He's a horny drunk, always has been.

 

_Can I come watch?_

 

“You really don't have to make anything for me, Seungcheol.”

 

“I don't want you tipsy around Dino.” Seungcheol cracks the eggs into the pan.

 

It takes a second for his words to register. Oh, right. He's not doing it to be cute and caring. It's Dino. The reason he's here. The reason Jeonghan’s here. The reason they met. The reason Jeonghan was so ready that night, without a second thought of what it might mean, to integrate them both into his daily lifestyle. But Seungcheol didn’t want that.

 

Jeonghan closed his eyes and Dino's toothy grin and bubbly laughter swell his heart. Oil sizzles in the background but Jeonghan’s smiling. If it's Dino, he's willing to do almost anything. Even stay at a painful distance.

 

“Makes sense.”

 

Seungcheol turns back to look at him again, spatula in hand.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.” Jeonghan shrugs.

 

A few moments of shuffling and getting a plate and such pass, Jeonghan takes the time to really apreciate at Seungcheols butt as nothing more than a really good butt, pushing all other thoughts to the back of his head.

Seungcheol then sets the plate of egg and fork in front of Jeonghan and sits across from him with a yawn. Jeonghan’s stomach rumbles.

 

“We’re out of bread, sorry.” He stretches his arms above his head.

 

The action alone, of his arms going up, triceps bulging at the movement, chest expanding with the inhale, his shirt getting a little tighter (why is his shirt so tight?) makes Jeonghan’s headache intensify. If the butt was bad, this is worse.

 

“Its fine, it's completely fine.” He mumbles, suddenly so focused on the food in front of him. “Jisoo says I need to cut the carbs, anyway. He has no right telling me what to eat since his metabolism could burn through gasoline but I have put on some weight but not because I've been eating carbs but because I haven't been to the fitness center in a while. I'm not the twiggy high schooler I used to be.” An absurd idea pops into his head as he catches Seungcheol adjust his sweatpants out of the corner of his eye and the alcohol starts talking for him. “Speaking of fitness, and this completely out of the blue, people say having a gym buddy gives you more motivation to get fit so would you want to, completely at your convenience, work out together sometime?”

 

Seungcheol hums, smiling absently, elbow on the table, hand tucked under his chin.

 

Jeonghan looks up, feeling egg yolk drip down his lip, he swallows big. Seungcheols looking at him the way he had looked at him when Jeonghan was singing in the bar.

 

“Is-is that a yes?” He hisses.

 

“That's a maybe.” Seungcheol tells him. “You know I have a busy schedule.”

 

Jeonghan wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and attempts to cover his embarrassment with another big bite. This isn't a matter of Jeonghan being flustered by gay feelings. No. Jeonghan is a master flirter. Everyone agrees. He could charm off his own pants if he tried hard enough. Jisoo even confessed to him that he developed a crush on Jeonghan when they first met because he was so touchy. Jeonghan still is, with Jisoo, but more to be annoying than to get some. Besides, what if Seungcheol is straight? He has a kid and all. Jeonghan stabs the egg violently and shoves another bite in his mouth.

 

“Sorry I can't be your gym buddy.” Seungcheol adds.

 

Jeonghan decides this is currently the worst place for him to be, with this damn headache, a clock ticking away the minutes to sunrise, eggy breath, Seungcheols smile, and that damn shirt which can't be bigger than a men's medium on his heterosexual body, this has to be the worst. Worse than calculus. What happened to the warmth and ease that was in Seungcheols room? The kitchen is too bare, leaves too much out in the open. He awkwardly slides the fork between his fingers.

 

“Yeah of course, not to impose.” _Idiot._ “You have Dino and work and class and who knows what else, I mean, it's fine if you want to decline, I don't need a gym buddy but I'm saying it would be nice. Besides it could be a nice way to relieve stress and stuff. Especially for you.”

 

Seungcheol reaches across the table and rests his hand on Jeonghans and Jeonghan hopes, hopes he's gonna say yes.

 

“Swallow.”

 

Jeonghan nearly chokes on the bit of egg in his throat. Half at the innuendo, half because he didn't even realize the yellow that was making its way down his chin and the white that was stuck between his teeth.

He pats his chest, coughing slightly.

 

Seungcheol suddenly snatches his hand away and covers his face but Jeonghan senses the heat radiating off him.

 

“I didn't mean it like that.” He mutters. “I'm sorry, shit.”

 

This is your chance! Jeonghans mind hisses but Jeonghans still trying to clear his throat of that damn egg, cheeks getting redder by the second.

 

_I'll swallow anything you want me to._

 

The image of such a situation blooms in Jeonghans mind. He's never thought about blowing Seungcheol, how that would feel, what his reaction would be, until now.

 

What if he's straight? That question again.

 

If it had been anyone else, Jeonghan would've easily made light of the situation, made a crude dick joke probably, compared egg yolk to jizz or something, but it's Seungcheol and he's embarrassed and Jeonghan can barely form a sentence for some reason. He's got whiskey dick too.

 

“Uhm..hmm..yeah.”

 

Seungcheol rubs the back of his neck, eyes terribly focused on the floor.

 

“I'm gonna go back to…” He gets up and waddles in place, eyes darting about. He looks the digital above the stove. 5:15. “Actually it's kinda late, I'm gonna make some coffee.”

 

“Coffee.” Seungcheol parrots himself, looking at Jeonghan, but not really looking at him. “Do you want coffee?”

 

Jeonghan still has some egg in his throat. He nods.

 

“Coffee.” Seungcheol says one last time before going to to get a keurig out of the bottom drawer.

 

He plugs it in and watches the light flicker on with great interest.

 

“Can I have some Aspirin?”

 

Seungcheol looks up, staring directly at the wall, there's a dust of pink still on his cheeks.

He opens the highest cabinet above the stovetop and digs all the way in the back, rummaging for a good minute with his shirt riding up his torso before Jeonghan downs the last of his eggs.

 

“If you can't find it, it's okay. I'll live.”

 

“Mm it's not that.” Seungcheol mumbles. “When you have a curious 4 year old running around, you have to hide things like Aspirin.”

 

 _What other things do you hide? Lube? Condoms? A vibrator?_ Jeonghan needs to sober up. Fast.

 

“Aha!” He pulls a bottle of tablet pills out of the cabinet and sticks it out to Jeonghan. “Here you go. 300 mg.”

 

“Thank you.” Jeonghan takes it. “And thank you again, for letting me sleepover.”

 

Seungcheol shrugs, palming the back of his neck. “The diner benches aren't the most comfortable.”

 

Jeonghan shoots a total blank at that, wondering if Seungcheol is kidding or whether he's actually had to sleep there in the past. His heart starts to fully ache.

 

Seungcheol seems to notice.

 

“Like...for naps in between shifts..and stuff.”

 

Jeonghans cheeks heat up and he looks down, embarrassed for making an assumption like that. He's always been well off thanks to his parents, even if they're abroad more often than Jeonghan has seen them. He can't really picture having to sleep on bench during a 30 minute break because you're that tired.

 

Seungcheol takes the courtesy of filling a glass of water for Jeonghan and hands it to him. The whole exchange suddenly feels even more awkward. To make matters worse, the universe decides it's a good time for Jeonghan to choke on his water.

 

“Oh my god.” Seungcheol is there thumping his back as he coughs loudly. “You're a mess today.”

 

Only today?

 

Jeonghan clears his throat, eyes scrunched closed as he feels the pills slide down his throat painfully and it feels like they're sitting on his chest, you know the feeling.

 

“I'm fine…sorry.” He wheezes out. “I'm the worst guest ever.”

 

Seungcheol's about to laugh at that when-

 

“Papa?” A familiar voice calls from the entryway of the kitchen.

 

They turns at the sound. Dino is wearing a blue onesie with grey elephant stencils, hair is disheveled beyond recognition, eyes are tired, innocent in a way only a child can be.

 

“Oh baby, what are you doing awake?”

 

Jeonghan melts.

 

Dino shrugs and yawns, rubbing both eyes with his tiny palms. He pouts tiredly at Seungcheol and walks over, leaning against his thigh, he wraps an arm around his knee and smiles at Jeonghan.

 

“Hi, Jeong’n-hyung.” He mumbles as Seungcheol strokes his hair.

 

“Hi, buddy.” Jeonghan answers, voice suddenly quivering.

 

“Did you have a dream, baby?” Seungcheol cards his fingers through Dino's bangs. His voice is still sweet and soothing, but there's an air of caution to it.

 

Dino shakes his head, absently sticking his thumb in his mouth. Seungcheol gently pulls his hand away.

 

“Hungry?” He asks.

 

“Wanted t’ wake up before Papa leaved.” Dino mumbles, thumb going back into his mouth. Seungcheol pulls it away again.

 

Jeonghan tugs at a knotted strand of hair to bring feeling back into his being. He shouldn't be here. That's all he can think about right now. This Seungcheol and Dino bare against time and Jeonghan was daft to think he could've just barged into it.

 

“But Jeonghan-hyungs here.” Dino's voice perks up the tiniest bit. “So am good.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“You're good, baby?” There's a laugh in Seungcheols voice.

 

“Ya. Am good when Jeonghan-hyung’s here.” Dino lets go of Seungcheols leg and goes over to Jeonghan, holding his arms out expectantly.

 

There's a beat of hesitation in Jeonghan that's too long to go unnoticed. He scoops Dino into his arms. He fits comfortably.

 

“Why dint you come over?” Dino asks. “It's been forever.”

 

Jeonghan’s heart hurts a little.

 

“I know, bud. I'm sorry.” Jeonghan’s voice is steadier than he expected. “I was just busy with school.”

 

That's not a lie, is it?

 

Dino hums thoughtfully, satisfied with the answer. “I gets busy with school too. Like at daycare sometimes I'm drawing and Mrs. Kim calls me but I'm so busy.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Mhm. My friends get busy too when I wanna play with them.” Dino nods. “So I get sad. But when you're here we played. Like when we played hide and seek.”

 

“We’ll play hide and seek again soon.” Jeonghan promises, thankful that Dino conveniently left out the detail of him going up to the fucking roof alone.  

 

“Are you staying today?” Dino asks. “We can play.”

 

“Yep, I'm gonna drop you off at daycare.” Jeonghan nods.

 

Dino pouts at that and shakes his head furiously. “No, no, no, no!”

 

“No?”

 

“I wanna stay wid you!” He says desperately.

 

Jeonghans eyebrows scrunch, he looks to Seungcheol for help but Seungcheol has his eyes focused on something else.

 

“Baby, do you have to go?” He asks warily, taking a step forward.

 

“Go where?” Jeonghan inquires but then his face pales as Dino's face turns red.

 

Jeonghan risks looking down and true as the sky is blue, a dark spot is growing at Dino's crotch.

 

“Dino!” Seungcheol barks before Jeonghan can react, snatching him out of his arms and rushing out of the kitchen.

 

Jeonghan stands dumbfounded, unsure of what to do. He holds his breath sharply, clenching and unclenching his fists. His shirt is clean, he knows this because there's no wetness on his chest. What a relief. He wouldn't have known what to do if he had to take it off.

Seconds tick by, he chances going toward the bathroom, where Seungcheol has sat Dino on his potty trainer, and is washing his hands in the sink. The blue onesie is in an ignored pile on the tiled floor.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung!” Dino's too embarrassed. “Don' look!”

 

Seungcheol looks up at that. Jeonghan starts to giggle.  

Dino hides his face as Seungcheol gives Jeonghan a sheepish smile.

 

“I'm sorry about this.”

 

“It happens.” Jeonghan can't stop giggling.

 

The absurdity of the whole ordeal dawns on him. There's no need to be tiptoeing around Seungcheol and Dino. Not when Dino's comfortable enough to almost pee on him. Even if Seungcheol doesn't want Jeonghan sacrificing his time to look after his child, Jeonghan is still here, he's still part of their lives in some way.

 

“Don' laugh!” Dino whines, kicking his legs.

 

“S-sorry.” Jeonghan has to cover his mouth, tears forming in his eyes.

 

“Papa!” Dino looks to Seungcheol.

 

But Seungcheol is snorting in laughter too.

 

“Papa!” Dino insists more feverishly. “No laughing!”

 

Seungcheol is still a mess of giggles as he turns to Jeonghan.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung, c-could you…” he breaks into one final chuckle before clearing his throat, smile blinding. “Could you get us a set of clothes from Dino's room?”

 

Jeonghan nods, laughing as he waddles out of the bathroom, chortling more maniacally as Dino reprimands Seungcheol for ‘embarrassing’ him.

 

“You can borrow a shirt from my closet too!” Seungcheol calls over Dino's indignant squeaks.

 

“Okay!” Jeonghan calls back but then catches himself and immediately quiets down. He looks at Seungcheols door, how it looms over him even though he's proudly 5’9 high. It creaks as he opens it. Has it always been this creaky?

 

With baited breath, he tiptoes in. Jihoon  has shifted his position and is now sprawled across the bed on his back, pillows and comforter forgotten. Jeonghan stands there, suddenly glued to the spot. Sunlight has started peeking through the window.

 

Jihoon snores loudly and Jeonghan jumps, scurrying to what he assumes is the closet. He pries it open, gritting his teeth at how loud the damn thing is. He doesn't even notice Jihoon rouse.

 

“Hey!”

 

Jeonghans shoulders shoot up.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

 

“I'm just Seungcheols friend.” Jeonghans lips form uncomfortably around the word _friend_ as he turns around. “Don't freak out.”

 

“Why are you going through his clothes?” Jihoon is sitting up, pink hair matted to his forehead. He's wearing a NASA t shirt, angry, couldn't be older than 16. Is this really that big praiseworthy composer?

 

“I'm I-um.” Jeonghan squares his shoulders, taken aback at the hostile tone. “Dino had...an accident.”

 

“I think I might know you.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Jihoon snorts.

 

“You sing at a bar?”

 

“Y-yeah I do.” Jeonghan finds he doesn't like this big praiseworthy composer very much. “What about it?”

 

“Are you the supposed beautiful guy with an amazing voice that Seungcheol gushes over all the time?” His voice is almost condescending. “I'll give you the beautiful part only because you look like my ex.”

 

“What?” Seungcheol said that about him?

 

“Nothing.” Jihoon shrugs, folding his arms. “From hearing you talk, it sounds like you can barely carry a tune.”

 

“I can carry a tune just fine.” Jeonghan says with a tone of finality and whips around. He was in an acapella group in high school, thank you very much.

 

He hears Jihoon yawn as he stares at the clothes angrily, yanking a random shirt off the hanger and stalking out of the room, storing the information pertaining to Seungcheol in the back of his mind for later use.

He just barely stops as he enters Dino's room, tripping over a stuffed puppy in the process. The room, in a word, is messy. Toys strewn across the carpeted floor, bed sheets thrown off the little wooden bed, a disposal bed cover on the mattress, a lengthy mirror propped against the wall. There's a desk with papers and crayons and paintbrushes scattered on it, adjacent is an easel that can't be taller than 2 feet.

Jeonghan peers over the desk, eyebrows raising. Dino is quite the artist, he notes. Considering his age, he draws fleshed out stick figures rather well. Jeonghans only other interaction with Dino's work was at the daycare, and up close in this mini exhibition, they seem more abstract than anything but Jeonghan took an art history class last semester, he knows how to look at this.

The drawings are mostly Seungcheol and Dino. One is of Seungcheol laughing titled “Papa best laaf!”, another is of Seungcheol standing in the kitchen with a frilly pink apron as Dino sits by his feet, Seungcheol and Dino sleeping under a starry night sky, Seungcheol as a superhero flying over the city as Dino waves from a window.

Jeonghan tentatively picks that particular one up. It's probably the biggest one with the most effort put into it clearly. There's touches of paint on it, it's clear from how the paper wrinkles at some parts. It's vibrant. Bold reds and bright yellows, fleshy greens and arrays of more. Tall skyscrapers reminiscent of the nearby city next to the university, a green monster, presumably the lizard overlord Jeonghan planted in Dino's mind, is standing with a wicked grin on top of a building proudly as the inhabitants of the building cry for help. He realizes he's in there too, half hanging out of the top window yelling for Seungcheol as he flies over to him. His hair is ridiculously long.

 

He snorts. Dino has quite the imagination.

 

“Are you done?” Jihoons airy voice reaches his ears.

 

Jeonghan rolls his eyes and sets the paper down.

 

“Shouldn't you be asleep?” He turns around. The yellow light from outside illuminates Jihoons figure to look much larger than it is. He looks like the lizard overlord.

 

“Just making sure you're not gonna try to steal anything.”

 

Jeonghan sputters, indignant.

 

“Me? Wha-what? What would I steal?” He gestures to himself incredulously. “A sock?”

 

Jihoon walks over with his arms folded, he has to tilt his head up to look at Jeonghan, scrutinizing him carefully. It's anxiety inducing.

 

Jeonghan doesn't like it.

 

“Shit, dude. Relax.” He steps back. “I'm just getting some clothes for Dino.”

 

“Right.” Jihoon says after a pregnant pause.

 

Jeonghan blinks, anger rising again.

 

“Don't stay long.” He goes to the door but stops.

 

“What now?” Jeonghan mutters under his breath.

 

“He loves to paint.”

 

“What?”

 

“Dino. Can't get enough of it. Always shows me all sorts of different colors he mixes together. Any kind of blue is his favorite though.”

 

“Okay?” Jeonghan mumbles as Jihoon goes back into Seungcheols bedroom.

 

A weird weight almost immediately lifts off his shoulders and he sighs, taking the chance to change his shirt. He balls his own and let's it drop to the floor, before pulling Seungcheols over his head. Seungcheol isn't particularly taller than him, a bit wider definitely, with a more defined torso and bigger arms, but from the way the collar of the shirt rests at Jeonghans collarbones, and the way the hem grazes the very top of his thighs, his stomach poking out of the front makes him self conscious for a second over the lack of toning in his own body. He should really hit the gym, buddy or not. He chances looking himself in the mirror against the wall and sputters. It's just a damn white t shirt with _black hoody_ written across the chest in a dated 90s way, but it looks so... _right_ on him. Jeonghan won't deny it, he is quite a looker, Jisoo says he could make a trash bag look good, but this is different. It looks different and good and Jeonghan finds he wants to keep it for reasons other than just the fact that it suits him. He plays with the hem, absently bending forward and studying his face.

 

He snaps straight when he hears Dino calling his name.

Throwing one final glance at the mirror, he turns to the bureau and pulls it open.

He grabs a shirt with the Cookie Monster on it and some soft trousers and heads back into the bathroom but stops in his tracks as steam pools from behind the shower curtain and Dino is standing patiently with a towel wrapped around him, wet hair stuck to his forehead.

 

“O-oh my god-oh- Seungcheol! Clothes! I have the clothes! Where do I put the clothes?!” Jeonghan slaps his hand over his eyes, heart threatening to thump out of his ass.

 

Seungcheol is _naked_ and in the _shower._

 

Seungcheol yelps.

 

“Can you put him in a pull up diaper and help him dress? I'm running late!” He pokes his head out from behind the curtain blushing equally as hard, Jeonghan can see through the cracks in between his fingers. Hair wet and slicked in all directions, droplets of water sliding down his face, soap suds dripping into his collarbone and down his chest, and faintly enough, through the curtain, Jeonghan can make out the shadow of-

 

He turns on his heel, planning on exiting the door but then he stubs his pinky on the door frame. Hard.

 

There's a brief moment of darkness and then it takes every nerve and muscle in Jeonghans being to keep him from breaking into a long string of curses as Dino watches with big eyes. A tear squeezes out of his eye.

 

Seungcheols voice calls him back but doesn't do much to help his pain.

 

“Jeonghan, are you okay?”

 

Jeonghan doesn't even want to risk turning around.

 

“I’m…great.” He waddles out of the room as Dino follows. “I’m...terrific.”

 

The door closes and Jeonghan wipes the humidity off his face with a sigh. It's been an exhausting morning already. He goes to sit down on the sofa, gesturing Dino over.

 

“I can do it.” Dino tells him, small feet pitter pattering on the wooden floor as he walks over.

 

“Do what.”

 

“My shirts and pants. I can do it.” Dino says, trying to seem confident but there's still an embarrassed hue on his cheeks. He puffs his chest out. “Myself.”

 

“Okay.” Jeonghan sighs and sets the clothes aside. “Before that, Papa said you have to wear a pull up.”

 

Dino bites his lip, eyes already brimming with tears at the thought of why Seungcheol wants him to wear his pull up but he wills them away and shakes his head. _Not fair._ He thinks.

 

“But you have to, bud.” Jeonghans voice softens immediately at the tears. “Or else you might make a mess like earlier.”

 

“I'm big. I don't need a diapee.” Dino insists, wrapping his towel more tightly around himself.

 

“Papa said so.” Jeonghan reasons.

 

Dino's shoulders droop.

 

“But I'm big.”

 

“Big boys wear pull ups.” Jeonghan tells him, patting his wet hair. “My great grandpa wears a diaper. And he's super super old.”

 

He's also immobilized from the neck down but that's a different story.

 

“Really?” Dino looks up thoughtfully.

 

“Yup. He's the oldest guy I know.”

 

“Then I guess is not so bad.”

 

Jeonghan stands up and claps his hands, grabbing Dino's clothes from the sofa.

 

“Lead the way!”

 

Once they've settled into Dino's room, pull up diaper in place (Dino insisted Jeonghan turn his back with his eyes closed while he slip it on), Jeonghan sits on the bed with a yawn, sudden sleep over taking him. Oh yeah, who knows what time he even got here.

 

Dino shivers and that springs Jeonghan into action again. He straightens out the baby blue trousers and holds them out for Dino to put his feet in but Dino folds his arms.

 

“What?” Jeonghan asks exasperated. “You're gonna catch a cold. Hurry and get dressed.”

 

“I wanna do it.” Dino pouts.

 

Jeonghan groans and hands Dino the pants. Twisting so he’ll face the wall the bed is up against and covers his eyes with his hands.

 

Some rustling and few noises of effort on Dino's end pass before Jeonghans back starts to ache. He's about to ask how much longer but he's beat to it.

 

“Baby, you're wearing it backwards.”

 

Seungcheols laugh could make flowers grow.

 

Jeonghan looks over and almost regrets it because Seungcheol is wearing just some basketball shorts, a band of white underwear peeking out above his pelvis and a white undershirt, arms folded as he leans against the doorframe, expression loving, wet hair slicked up and styled, eyes twinkling. The air rushes out of Jeonghans lungs in a good way.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey.” Seungcheol smiles at him. “Nice shirt.”

 

“Thanks.” Jeonghan smiles back almost magnetically.

 

Seungcheol walks over and pulls Dino's shirt over his head, turning it inside out, and then pulling it over Dino's head again.

 

“I just have to shave.” He says as Dino sticks his arms through the arm holes. “And the bathroom is all yours.”

 

“Can I watch TV?” Dino asks.

 

“It's so early, baby.” Seungcheol tells him. “None of our favorite shows are on.”

 

 _Our._ Jeonghans noticed how often Seungcheol uses that when speaking to Dino. _Our, us, we._ It's always the two of them together. They're never without each other.

 

Seungcheol turns to Jeonghan and gestures to the bedside drawer.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung, could you get our hairbrush?”

 

“Sure.” Jeonghan mindlessly rummages through the drawer and pulls out a sleek black hairbrush, handing it to Seungcheol.

 

Dino immediately recoils as Seungcheol gestures him over.

 

“I don' like.” He tells him.

 

“You can't go to daycare with messy hair.” Seungcheol mumbles, gently brushing the knots out of Dino's bangs.

 

Dino squirms, flinching whenever the brush gets caught in a knot.

 

“If you move around like that, it’ll hurt more.” Seungcheol says impatiently. “And take longer.”

 

“I don’ like!” Dino reiterates.

 

He looks to Jeonghan with hopeful eyes, lips curved down in a pout. The hairbrush is evil. Damn it. Jeonghan can't say no to that face.

 

“Why don't I brush Dino's hair while you shave?” His mouth moves before his brain gives it permission to. “Two birds with one stone.”

 

“Are you sure?” Seungcheol sighs. “He's a handful.”

 

“I'm good with my hands.”

 

Good innuendo. Bad timing.

 

Seungcheols face turns visibly pink, eyes widening. He clears his throat, grip on the brush loosening as he clearly racks his brains for a response. This could almost be considered payback for what happened in the kitchen.

 

“That's-that's good.” He musters a smile finally, glancing in Dino's direction.

 

Dino looks between them confusedly. Jeonghan massages his temples, contemplating whether he should apologize and make the whole exchange more awkward.

 

Seungcheol hands Jeonghan the brush, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, staring at the floor.

Jeonghan pulls Dino over who sighs and closes his eyes, already ready for a world of pain.

 

Jeonghan smiles, taking a thin lock of hair between his fingers and brushing it. Having long hair has taught him that you can't just drag a brush through it like some kind of barbarian, you have to do it in sections.

 

Dino opens one eye, mouth pursed, confused at the lack of tugging on his scalp. Jeonghan grins wider.

 

“Your hair is so long, Dino!” He exclaims, pretending to examine it. “It might be longer than mine.”

 

Dino giggles shyly, submitting to Jeonghans fingers in his hair.

 

“You might need a haircut.” Jeonghan tells him thoughtfully. “What do you think, Seungcheol?”

 

“He gets uncomfortable at the barber too.” Seungcheol says. “Looks like you're the only one who can brush his hair without it turning into a scene from a novela.”

 

Jeonghan chances a glance at him. He's still crouching, eyebrows raised, but still with that soft smile on his face. Jeonghan can't seem to get enough of that smile.

Dino sticks his tongue out at Seungcheol. Seungcheol sticks his back out and then straightens up, heading out of the room.

 

“Don't be too long.”

 

“Why? Will you start missing me?” Jeonghan means it as a joke, he swears. He knows they're all in a hurry to get ready.

 

Seungcheol turns around with a smirk.

 

“Maybe.”

 

Jeonghan laughs to himself, albeit a bit embarrassedly. Dino looks at him curiously but doesn't say anything.

 

Once Dino's all ready with his shoes, his bag, his hat, sitting at the kitchen table, swinging his legs because his feet don't touch the ground, while Jihoon dogs through the fridge looking for a snack of his liking, Jeonghan finds his way into the bathroom.

 

Seungcheol is leaned over the sink, dragging a razor through the last of the foam puffing his jaw, deep in concentration.

Jeonghan looks at the mess of stray hairs, foam, and water on his face, almost twitching at a small patch of hair he missed just below his jaw.

 

“You missed-” he cuts himself off frowning as Seungcheol runs the razor under the running water.

 

He looks up.

 

“What?”

 

“You-” Jeonghan points to his own jaw before changing his mind. “I’ll do it.”

 

He takes the razor from Seungcheols limp hand, grabbing the _Gillette fusion proglide_ gel off the counter and smoothing the tiniest amount on Seungcheols jaw where the stubble remains.

 

Seungcheol presses his lips tightly together, eyes wide in anticipation and Jeonghan knows this is a hairline away from stepping over imaginary boundaries drawn in the sand between them and Seungcheol probably thinks he's weird as fuck for doing this but that damn hair.

 

He's got the razor rested on Seungcheols skin, ready to move, when a loud knock on the door startles him into cutting Seungcheols skin.

 

“Shit.” Seungcheol winces before glaring into the doorway where a smug Jihoon stands.

 

Jeonghan stares at the bead of blood pooling out of the cut.

 

“Seungcheol, I'm so sorry-”

 

“I'm gonna wait in the car.” Jihoon says, dangling Seungcheols keys in the air. “Don't wanna interrupt you two lovebirds.”

 

Jeonghan looks between Jihoon and Seungcheol. Seungcheol sighs with a roll of his eyes.

 

“You got gas money, Jihoon?”

 

“No?” Jihoons eyebrows scrunch. “I left my wallet at the studio, remember?”

 

“Then I guess you're taking the bus.” Seungcheol says absently, dabbing at the blood with his finger.

 

“What?! But-”

 

“My car, my rules.” Seungcheol tells him.

 

“Fine.” Jihoon growls. “If I'm late for the session, you're paying the fee.”

 

“Don't be late then.”

 

“Fine. I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Love you.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

Jeonghan snorts as Jihoon paces down the hall muttering about unreliable bus schedules. He turns to Seungcheol with an apologetic pout.

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“It's no problem.” Seungcheol shrugs and leans his back against the sink. “Go ahead.”

 

“But the cut.” Jeonghan mumbles, thumbing away the souring foam mingling with the blood.

 

“Ah yes. This teeny tiny razor nick. Surely, I will bleed to death.”

 

“Shut up.” Jeonghan punches his chest playfully.

 

Seungcheol splits into a grin. Jeonghan goes to punch him again but stops midway, yawning loudly.

 

“Sleepy?” Seungcheol asks.

 

“I'm exhausted.” Jeonghan admits, blinking his tired eyes a few times before finally shaving away the remaining stubble. “Never mix weed and alcohol.”

 

“Exhausted?”

 

“Hi Dino.” Jeonghan smiles after a beat and Seungcheol goes to wash his face.

 

“What's ‘exhausted’ means?” Dino asks.

 

“It means that you're really tired.” Jeonghan tells him, ruffling his hair and walking past him. “Come on, let's make breakfast.”

 

“Okay!” Dino chirps. “I never made bre-fast with Jeonghan-hyung.”

 

Jeongan beams down at him and turns back to Seungcheol who is patting his face dry with a towel.

 

“You want anything specific, Seungcheol?”

 

“Hmm?” Seungcheol turns to him. “Oh, not today. Sorry, Jeonghan. I'm already running late.”

 

Jeonghans eyebrows knit, he can't really seem to figure out why that makes him a little sad.

 

“Okay well, I'll leave some in the fridge for when you come home.”

 

“You don't have to-”

 

“I wanna make omurice!” Dino squeals tugging Jeonghans arm impatiently. “Jeonghan-hyung style!”

 

Jeonghan laughs as he's whisked into the kitchen. Dino pulls an apron out of the cabinet for Jeonghan and then a mini one for himself. Next, he runs to the side of the fridge and pulls out his little step.

Jeonghan watches with a fond grin as Dino pulls his sleeves up and washes them in the sink, relaying to Jeonghan how he likes his omurice super spicy and how Seungcheol doesn't and how he always sneezes when he eats something spicy. Jeonghan tells him like he likes spicy omurice too and laughs when Dino imitates Seungcheols sneeze.

 

Dino lights up at that, chattering about how they should make it super duper spicy so Seungcheol sneezes when he eats it.

 

Jeonghan laughs, already loading rice into the cooker as Dino tells him story after story. He stops making sense at some point, to Jeonghan at least, just the sound of bubbly laughter, an orchestra of words strung together, attentive humming, and the sound of a knife slicing through vegetables on a cutting board fill the air.

 

Seungcheol bounds into the kitchen with his dress shoes in hand as Jeonghan is tossing all the ingredients in the pan.

 

“You sure you don't want to me to pack some for you, Seungcheol?” Jeonghan asks.

 

Seungcheol seats himself at the table, slipping his shoes on as Dino pats his shoulder provoking him to play with him.

 

“No, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol shakes his head, pushing his hair back and checking his watch. “You and Dino have fun. Don't forget to drop him off at 9.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Jeonghan walks over with a big spoonful of the fried rice as Seungcheol stands up.

 

He jams it into Seungcheols mouth, giggling as sauce smears on his lips. Seungcheol frowns, chewing slowly, wiping his mouth.

 

Dino grins mischievously, tugging Jeonghans pant leg.

 

“Good?” Jeonghan asks, absently picking a minuscule piece of lint off Seungcheols blazer.

 

Seungcheol swallows, cheeks pink.

 

“Super good. Now bye.”

 

Dino looks devastated as Seungcheol kneels down with his arms open.

 

“Why didn't you sneeze?!” He demands.

 

“Huh?”

 

Jeonghan bursts into guffaws. Seungcheols confusions grows as he straightens up.

 

“Good luck at your internship.” Jeonghan says in between laughs, patting Seungcheols shoulder.

 

He pushes his hair out of his face, doubling over in laughter as Dino exclaims that Jeonghan is a _swindler_.

 

Where did he learn that word?

 

Seungcheol grins dumbly, about to ruffle his gelled hair, but he stops upon seeing the time on the stovetop clock.

 

6:46 am

 

“Okay, bye!”

 

He kisses the top of Dino's head and rushes out of the kitchen, grabbing his keys off the rack. The door slams shut and Jeonghans chortles die down.

 

Hangover tiredness finally seeps into his bones as he stretches his arms over his head. Dino gazed up at him, upset.

 

Jeonghan chuckles.

 

“Sorry, buddy. We’ll prank him next time.”

 

Dino sticks his tongue out and turns his back to him. Jeonghan snorts and goes to shake some crushed pepper into the rice and vegetables, he picks the pan up and goes to the omelette he already cooked in the second pan, spooning the rice into the center of the omelette before folding over the edges.

 

“Its done, Dino.” He calls over his shoulder.

 

He hears a loud “hmph!” and smiles to himself as places the omelette on a plate. He pulls his apron off, hanging it on a hook by the fridge. Noticing a jar of cookies on top of the fridge, he grins and goes back to the counter nonchalantly. He places the plate on the table as Dino rotates so his back remains to Jeonghan.

 

“Tell you what.” Jeonghan says. “I’ll let you have a cookie afterwards.”

 

Dino almost turns to face him but stops himself and turns right back around with a more resolved “hmph!”. Jeonghan bites his lip and holds back a snort. He goes to the fridge, getting the jar off the top and unscrewing the lid.

 

Of course. Oreos.

 

He takes two out for himself and one for Dino, then he goes and kneels in front of Dino. Dino glares at him. Jeonghan waves an oreo in front of his face. Dinos eyebrows raise as he goes to grab it but Jeonghan pulls it out of his reach.  
  


“Breakfast, first.” He tells him. “I worked so hard to make it for you.”

 

Dino sighs overdramatically before trudging to the table and climbing into a chair, he pretends to look at the omurice with disgust but Jeonghan can see the hunger swimming in his eyes. He quickly scarfs down his own snack before Dino sees him.

 

Halfway through his meal, Dino seems to have abandoned any effort of trying to make it look like hes upset. Jeonghan has completely lost his appetite as he looks at the smears of ketchup and rice on Dinos face.

 

“Are you happy, buddy?” He asks as Dino gulps down some water, seemingly full.

 

Dino nods feverishly. Jeonghan smiles, wiping his face with a tissue, and hands him his oreo. Dino looks at it for a second with longing eyes before producing a tiny burp. Jeonghan breaks into another fit of laughter. Dino seems a bit too dazed to say much.

 

“Oh my god.” He wipes tears from his eyes. ‘’Dino, I think you ate too much.”

 

Dino nods, setting the oreo on the table.

 

“My tummy hurts.”

 

“Aw.” Jeonghan ruffles his hair. “It’ll feel okay soon.”

 

Jeonghan goes into the living room and flips some cartoons on in the meantime. They have an entire hour to kill. Dino follows, clutching his stomach, and frowns up at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan purses his lips and sits down on the sofa, pulling Dino into his lap, and begins lightly rubbing circles on his back. He read somewhere that it helps babies burp.

 

“Relax for a little bit, okay?” Jeonghan tells him as he turns the volume on the TV down and puts the remote on the coffee table. “It’ll go away in a few minutes.”

 

Dino hums. Jeonghan yawns, tears prickling his eyes at the action, hair falling into his face as he continues to rub Dinos back. He doesn’t fully register when Dino climbs out of his lap after a few minutes to turn the volume up on the TV because Mickey Mouse clubhouse is on, he just tucks his legs under his butt, resting his head on a sofa cushion, deciding that dozing off for a few minutes won’t hurt. He has a whole hour after all.  
  


~

 

Dino gazes at Jeonghan-hyungs asleep figure on the sofa thoughtfully. He's so pretty. He's the prettiest person Dino has ever seen. Dino wishes Papa was that pretty. Jeonghan-hyung is also wearing Papas white shirt and it's big on him. Dino wonders why Jeonghan-hyung can't just wear his own clothes but then instantly remembers it's because of him.

 

 _It's okay._ He decides with an embarrassed blush. Jeonghan-hyung can wear as many of Papas clothes as he needs, he can even borrow Dino's clothes if he wants but he has to give them back.

 

He doesn't know whether to wake him or not. Mickey Mouse clubhouse just ended and It's almost time for daycare, he can tell because the big clock hand is almost at the 9 and when the big clock hand is at the 9 daycare starts. He doesn't wanna go, though. He wants to stay with Jeonghan-hyung, even if he's asleep. He remembers Jeonghan-hyung telling Papa he was ‘exhausted’ in the bathroom.

 

Dino knows what ‘exhausted’ means because Jeonghan-hyung told him. He gets ‘exhausted’ after he's plays at the park all day or if he tries to stay up late with Jihoon-hyung to wait for Papa. He's also heard Jihoon-hyung yell at Papa once and he used the word ‘exhausted’.

 

If he remembers correctly, Jihoon-hyungs exact words were “get some sleep, you moron! you're clearly exhausted!”

 

Jihoon-hyung yells a lot. But it's funny.

 

Dino nods to himself, he decides he is also ‘exhausted’ in this very moment. He was awake super early this morning, anyways. He doesn't wanna go to daycare, anyways. He wants to stay with Jeonghan-hyung, anyways. He looks at the clock again and the little hand is still a little before 9.  

 

He should probably tell Mrs. Kim he can't go today so she doesn't get worried. First, he attempts to call her but realizes he doesn't know her number and he can't find the phone.

 

Plan B. He decides to write her a letter.

 

He rushes into his room and grabs the cleanest paper he can find and a black crayon and rushes back out, setting up on the coffee table.

 

“Dear Mrs Kim.” He says aloud slowly, trying his best to spell out everything properly.

 

He's not that good at spelling but he can spell Kim because he has to write it on his papers sometimes in daycare.

 

“I can't come today.” He continues. “Because-”

 

Hmm. He looks at Jeonghan-hyung again, wondering if he should wake him up so he can help him write the letter.

 

He crosses out the ‘because’ as he's unsure of how to spell it and starts on a new line.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung is over my house. Bye.”

 

He rushes the last few words and folds the letter neatly, placing it under the doorframe of the front door. He straightens up about to turn back but stops and gazes at the handle warily, remembering how sad Jeonghan-hyung got when he went outside without telling him.

 

He looks back at Jeonghan-hyung, who mumbles something softly and adjusts his head on the sofa cushion and continues breathing gently, eyes fluttered closed.

 

Dino promises himself to never ever never make Jeonghan-hyung sad again. He runs over to his side and climbs onto the sofa with him, wiggling in between his arms until he feels he's nestled comfortably.

 

Jeonghan stirs, eyes only half open. He looks down confusedly at the tuft of hair moving in his face.

 

“Dino?” He whispers.

 

“I'm exhausted.” Dino tells him seriously, burying his face into his chest.

 

Jeonghan chuckles, chest shaking with a soft rumble as he cards his fingers through Dino's hair. Dino decides he likes it a lot, pressing his cheek to Jeonghans left pectoral. He hears a faint soothing heartbeat and sighs happily.

 

“Okay, baby.”

 

Dino loves it when Papa calls him ‘baby’ but he finds when Jeonghan-hyung says it, he loves it a little bit more.


	4. Chapter 4

“Do you know how worried I was?! I thought you got mugged or the bus crashed or _worse_!”

 

Jeonghan had woken up at noon to 8 missed calls and 4 voicemails on the landline, each one more panicked than the last before he caught the 9th call.

 

“You should have called me!”

 

“I know, I'm so sorry-” He starts.

 

“ _Sorry_?! You have my child with you! You weren't even answering your cellphone!”

 

“It's been dead since yesterday.” Jeonghans clutching his cell in his pocket with shaking fingers.

 

“I almost had a heart attack when the daycare called me, Jeonghan.” The edge slowly seeps out of Seungcheols voice. “Don't ever do that again.”

 

“He's safe at home right here with me.”

 

“But what if he wasn't, Jeonghan? What if _you_ weren't? How was I supposed to know?”

 

_What if you weren't?_

 

“I'm so sorry, Seungcheol.” Jeonghan truly is. For causing the other this much distress. He doesn't even register the tears seeping out of his eyes now.

 

Seungcheol sighs.

 

“I'll see you at 2, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

The line clicks off and Jeonghan clears his throat, looking at the receiver still in his hand. Dino's soft breathing reaches his ears and he turns around and sits on the farther side of the sofa, going through the voicemails again, absently wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

 

_“Hey, Jeonghan? Mrs Kim just called me and told me Dino wasn't at daycare yet? Are you two home?”_

 

_“Why aren't you answering your phone? Are you even home? Call me.”_

 

_“Jeonghan? Are you hurt? Did anything happen? Answer the phone. Please.”_

 

_“Please answer-”_

 

The last one ends abruptly at the sound of a loud voice calling Seungcheol to get papers or something.

 

Jeonghan rubs his eyes again, willing away tears but a burning sensation in the backs of his eyeballs stops him.

 

“Shit.” He mumbles. There's probably still spice on his hands from breakfast and now it's on his fucking eyes.

 

He gets up, putting the receiver back in its place and going to the bathroom to wash his face.

 

“Ow.” The burning gets stronger.

 

He splashes more water on his face, minutely aware of the droplets wetting his neck. The water wakes him up, brings more sense back to his body, he contemplates taking a shower.

 

“Jeongh’n-hyung?” Dino seems to always toddle right back to you once you leave him alone for too long.

 

“Oh hey, Dino.” Jeonghan tries to keep his voice light, conversational, as he goes to wipe his face on the towel. “I got something in my eye.”

 

Dino giggles, ruffling his own unruly hair, not a sign of drowsiness on him.

 

“Looks like you were cried.”

 

“Don't worry.” Jeonghan hums. “I wasn't.”

 

“I know.” Dino grins. “But is funny.”

 

“Sure is.” Jeonghan grins back.

 

He follows Dino as he patters down the hall and back into the living room.

 

“Can we go to da park?”

 

“Park?”

 

“Ya.”

 

Jeonghan wrings his fingers. Would Seungcheol be okay with it? He looks down at Dino who's already run to the door to get his shoes, sitting on the floor and slipping them on.

 

“Is the park nearby?”

 

“Ya! Left then right!”

 

“Huh?” Jeonghan goes to the phone, clutching it in his hands apprehensively.

 

“Papa says left then right! To the park!” Dino hobbles up and nods.

 

“Left then right.” Jeonghan looks down at the phone.

 

Why is he so scared of taking Dino to the park? He's a grown man, Dino's 4 and half. It's only a left and a right apparently, not some intricate maze pattern away.

Dino goes to get his hat off the hook but it's too high up, he can't reach.

 

Jeonghan finds himself smiling warmly at his efforts. He's so precious.

 

_Did something happen?_

 

_Are you hurt?_

 

_Please answer._

 

Dino jumps for it but loses his balance and falls on his butt with a surprised “oof!”. He rubs his tush and looks up at his hat with an angry frown.

 

“Be careful, love.” Jeonghan calls, fingers, on their own, clicking through the contacts till they land on Seungcheols number.

 

If anything were to happen to Dino, Jeonghan would never forgive himself. Not only because Seungcheol would be heartbroken, but Jeonghan himself would never be able to live knowing Dino was hurt, or lost, or confused, in the slightest. The mere thought tugs at his heartstrings and he can't seem to figure out _when_ exactly he started caring so much.

 

Dino has returned to grappling for his hat. Seungcheol doesn't pick up his phone.

 

“The number you have reached is currently unavailable. After the tone, please leave a message.”

 

“Hi, Seungcheol. Its Jeonghan. I'm just taking Dino to the park for a few minutes, okay? Just wanted to give you a heads up. See you at 2.”

 

“Jeonghan-hyung, I can't reach!” Dino finally gives up.

 

“I got it.” Jeonghan places the phone on the receiver and trudges to the door, grabbing Dino's hat for him.

 

It's cold outside. Cold enough that Jeonghan pushes Dino back up the stairs and into the house so that they both can grab jackets. Dino has already thrown his blue windbreaker on, beyond ready to play at the park when Jeonghan comes back from the kitchen with a water bottle in hand and some disinfectant pads and bandages in his pockets just in case. His hand wavers over the two jackets left on the hook. One is a blue and white bomber jacket with their university colors and logo but it's _thin_ and Jeonghan wants to be _warm._ His other option however is Seungcheols big puffy black jacket and Jeonghan feels like putting that on would be a violation of Seungcheols privacy. He doesn't know why, though.

 

“Wear the blue blue!” Dino exclaims next to him, pointing to the bomber. “We match!”

 

“Good idea.” Jeonghan immediately splits into a smile, grabbing the bomber off the hook and sticking his arms through the sleeves.

 

“Matchy matchy.” Dino grins and holds onto to Jeonghans hand, tugging him towards the door.

 

Jeonghan does a final survey of the apartment, everything is in order, no mess just some crayons on the coffee table, the stove is off, he left Seungcheol a voicemail, he has the key to the front door in his pocket, he has disinfectant and bandages in a neat little ziplock bag, he has his wallet in case of an emergency. Well, the wallet only has like a couple hundred won but it's better than nothing.

 

He shuts the door and locks it. Dino hobbles down the stairs, using the banister for extra leverage. He's not the tallest 4 year old out there so even stairs can feel like a feat sometimes. Jeonghan smiles at him, stepping forward. His foot skids a little and he looks down at a folded piece of paper underneath him.

 

“Stay close, baby.” Jeonghan calls to Dino who is now waiting in the stairs for him.

 

He picks up and unfolds the paper, reading a mess of gibberish written in black crayon. Jeonghans eyebrows knit together in confusion, shoving his hands in the pockets of the jacket along with the piece of paper and coming down the stairs where Dino rushes ahead of him.

He looks around. The sky is a bit cloudy but overall it's sunny out, the wind is fast but infrequent. Those skater dudes are in the corner of the parking lot trying to do skate tricks. Maybe he should ask them for directions just to make sure they don't get lost.

 

“Hey, excuse me.” He calls, walking over, pushing his hair out of his face.

 

Dino stops in front of him and turns around curiously.

 

“Is there a park around here?” He asks nervously.

 

He knows they're not bad kids. Sure, they have scary tattoos and gauges and scowls and clothes from hot topic and-

 

“Yeah dude.” A guy with a beanie and his eyebrow pierced nods. “Just take a left out of the lot and then the next right. Can't miss it.”

 

“Thank you.” A tiny bubble of anxiety that Jeonghan didn't know was in his chest bursts with relief.

 

“Keep it real man.” He gives a peace sign. “You too, little man.”

 

Jeonghan didn't even notice Dino had followed him and was now standing directly behind him, peering at the man from behind Jeonghans thigh.

 

“Uh, you too.” Jeonghan gives a weird smile before turning away.

 

They make their way out of the lot. Left then right.

 

“Keep it real.” Dino nods to himself.

 

Jeonghan has to bite back a cackle. They're holding hands upon Dino's insistence now. That encounter, although harmless, must've reminded him to be a little more careful of strangers. However, once the park is in sight, Dino abandons all previous safety concerns and runs towards the swings. Jeonghan dogs after him.

 

“Dino, slow down! Be careful!”

 

The park isn't particularly big, just with a set of kind of rusty swings and a bright yellow slide and a track surrounding it. There's an elderly couple holding hands and walking very slowly down the track and there's two other children already on the swings. Dino digs his heels in the dirt by the swings clearly asking if he can have a turn when they're done. They smile and nod and Jeonghan wishes adults were that friendly with each other. He turns around, going to sit on a bench but stops, seeing a tall figure clad in grey sweats jogging toward him.

 

“Well, well, well.” Mingyu lulls. “Look who it is!”

 

Jeonghan groans at the mere sight of his handsome features looking well rested and _not_ hungover.

 

“How do you not feel like shit right now?”

 

Mingyu jogs in a circle around Jeonghan, his ear buds dragging in the dirt.

 

“I'm a strong young boy, Jeonghan-hyung. It takes more than a few drinks to get me drunk.”

 

“I _blacked out._ Do you even remember anything? You and Wonwoo left me by myself.” Jeonghan scratches his head, throwing a cautionary glance in Dino's direction. “Assholes.”

 

He's on the slide now without a single care in the world. The kids on the swings seem to be slowing down and calling him over.

 

“Nope.” Mingyu shakes his head and playfully shifts a little closer, hands resting on Jeonghan hips. “But I do remember that cute mouth was gonna pair up with Wonwoo to give me a _nice, long, messy_ blow-”

 

Jeonghan hits him on the arm with his water bottle.

 

“There are 3 toddlers _right there_ and I was _drunk.”_

 

“Okay, and?” Mingyu chuckles, hooking his fingers in Jeonghans belt loops.

 

He's just being an ass, Jeonghan knows. But it's still annoying. Everything Mingyu seems to do these days annoys him. Mingyu looks him up and down, supposedly wolfishly, but it just comes off as puppyish with his floppy bangs and shiny brown eyes.

 

“Is that a new jacket?” He asks.

 

“Not mine.” Jeonghan answers, folding his arms.

 

“Wait, why are you here?” Mingyu stops, unhooking his fingers and looking around the park. “Don't tell me-”

 

“Jeonghan-hyung, look!” Dino exclaims as one of the kids, who looks a year older, pushes him on the swing.

 

Mingyus eyes widen and his mouth twists into the most shit eating grin Jeonghans ever seen. Dread piles on Jeonghans chest.

 

“Do not tell me, hyung.” He grins in Dino's direction.

 

“Mingyu-”

 

“Choi Junior! Hey!”

 

Dino looks at Mingyu, carefree smile now morphing into a slightly confused smile as Mingyu jogs over. Jeonghan follows with his head hanging.

 

The kid pushing the swing stops and steps back as Dino drags his shoes in the dirt to slow down.

 

“I'm Mingyu-hyung.” Mingyu puts his hands on his hips.

 

Dino sways back and forth, not saying anything, mouth squished into a tiny pout. He looks at Jeonghan.

 

“This is my friend.” Jeonghan tells him.

 

“That wasn't very enthusiastic.” Mingyu smacks his butt.

 

Jeonghan jolts forward with a yelp, hands immediately going back and down to protect himself from further assault.

 

“How are ya, Choi Junior?” Mingyu kneels down and sticks his hand out at Dino.

 

Dino looks at it questioningly, then he looks at Mingyu, then at Jeonghan, then back at the hand. He hesitantly takes Mingyus offer for a handshake, immediately retracting his arm back to the swing once Mingyu let's go.

 

“You like blue, huh?” Mingyu tries again, gesturing to Dino's all blue outfit and hat.

 

Dino nods bashfully.

 

“He's shy around adults.” Jeonghan says, much to his own realization. It explains their first few encounters.

 

“I used to know your dad.” Mingyu continues to talk to Dino who only gazes at the floor, kicking his feet slightly.

 

“We were friends. Well, we weren't friends. He was just at a couple of parties I went to and I talked to him once.”

 

“Hey, Dino! Hansol!” The third kid calls from the top of the slide. “Let's race!”

 

He slides down and in that time, the toddler who had been pushing Dino has run over. Dino looks to Jeonghan for permission. Jeonghan nods and Dino immediately leaps off the swing and toddles toward them as well.

 

“Be careful, baby.” He trills.

 

Mingyu stays kneeling on the floor before clearing his throat and straightening up.

 

“My place, Sunday?” He turns to Jeonghan. “I got dope.”

 

“I'll think about it.” Jeonghan mumbles, eyes glued on Dino as he, Hansol, and the third child kneel around the start of the track. Hansol counts them down and they run off as fast as their short legs will take them.

Jeonghans shoulders shoot up to his ears. What if Dino falls? What if he falls on his face? What if he breaks an ankle? What if he-

 

The third child trips over his ankle and falls hard on his knee. Jeonghans winces and hurries over as he immediately breaks into sobs. Mingyu trudges behind.

Hansol helps the crying boy up, lugging him over to where Jeonghan meets him halfway. Dino follows suit, looking on worriedly.

 

“It's okay, Seugkwannie!” Hansol exclaims, rubbing Seungkwannies back as he sits down on the pavement. He looks to Jeonghan for help.

 

“Let's take a look at that.” Jeonghan mumbles, pulling Seungkwannies pant leg up as he looks up at him with watery eyes.

 

His knee is scraped. Not badly, but blood is trickling out and there's the tiniest bit of exposed flesh. Jeonghan bites his lip.

 

“Is your ankle okay?” He asks, tenderly grabbing it and moving it around. “Does it hurt?”

 

Seungkwannie shakes his head, shoulders still shaking, probably more from shock than pain. Jeonghan turns to Hansol.

 

“Where are your parents? His parents?”

 

Hansol wrings his hands together awkwardly.

 

“Uh…”

 

“Are you here without your parents permission?” Jeonghan asks, he doesn't mean for it to come out sternly but Hansol probably takes it as very stern and scolding from how his face flushes.

 

“There.” He points to a white picket fence house across the road, eyes avoiding Jeonghan, ashamed. “We were having a sleepover at Seungkwannies house and we sneaked to the park.”

 

“Your mom and dad don't know you're here?” Mingyu asks with folded arms.

 

Hansol shakes his head.

 

Dino comfortingly rubs Seungkwannies arm with a pout.

 

“Is okay, Seungkwannie.” He says sadly.

 

“Well, I'll clean you up.” Jeonghan turns and talks to Seungkwannie. “But you have to go right back home and tell an adult.”

 

Seungkwannie hiccups and nods, eyes downcast.

 

Jeonghan pulls the ziplock bag out of his pocket and pulls out a disinfectant pad. Seungkwannie eyes it suspiciously.

 

“This will sting a little.” Jeonghan tells him absently, opening up the packaging. “But only a little.” He reassures as Seungkwannnie looks at him fearfully.

 

He goes to wipe the scrape. Seungkwannie hisses, tears immediately welling up again and sliding down his face. Dino's eyes widen.

 

“I know it hurts, I'm sorry.” Jeonghan coos, peeling open a bandage and pasting it on Seungkwannies scrape. Thankfully, the scrape is small enough that Jeonghan only needs to use one bandage.

 

“There we go.” He grabs Seungkwannies arms and helps him stand up with a smile. “Better?”

 

“Yeah.” Seungkwannie wipes his face.

 

“You kiddies go home now, ya hear?” Mingyu says, twirling his earbuds around his finger boredly.

 

“Okay!” Hansol grabs Seungkwannie by the hand and turns to Jeonghan. “Thanks noona! Bye Dino!”

 

“Bye bye!” Dino shouts back.

 

Mingyu bursts into a guffaw at that, grabbing his stomach and doubling over in ugly cackles. Hansol and Seungkwannie look back only for a moment before continuing to walk away.

 

Jeonghan wacks Mingyu in the back of his legs. Mingyu trips, cursing loudly. Jeonghan laughs at that and turns to Dino to ruffle his hair triumphantly.

 

Dino instead is looking up at Mingyu, contemplatively, like he's not sure whether to trust him or not.

 

 _Don't do it Dino_. Jeonghan finds himself warning as he stands up.

 

“Jesus.” Mingyu dusts off his sweatpants. “Kids these days, right hyung?”

 

“Your own fault for laughing.” Jeonghan tells him, jabbing him in the ribs.

 

“Your own fault for growing your hair out to your knees.” Mingyu retorts.

 

Jeonghan wacks him again. His hair is barely shoulder length. Mingyu flips him off.

 

Dino tugs Jeonghans pants, looking up, his hat slips off a little as a gust of wind blows. Jeonghan instinctively grabs it off his head.

 

“Yes?”

 

Dino gestures for him to kneel down. Jeonghan clutches his hat, going down on one knee and scooching closer as Dino goes to whisper in his ear.

 

“Can I go play?” He asks and pulls away, looking at Jeonghan with big eyes.

 

“Sure.” Jeonghan blinks.

 

And he's off like a bolt of lightning, back to the swings.

 

“Are you, like, a part time dad or something?” Mingyu asks as he straightens up again.

 

“Hey, where's Wonwoo?” Jeonghan changes the subject not too innocently.

 

Mingyu immediately sputters.

 

“We’re taking a b-break. I told you.”

 

“Yeah?” Jeonghan bats feline eyes at him. “I thought last night me and Wonwoo were gonna give you a _nice, long, messy_ -”

 

“He said he only likes me when he's shitfaced.” Mingyu confesses like it was the most difficult realization he's ever come to.

 

Jeonghan looks at him, maybe with a little pitty. Sure, Mingyu is loud and obnoxious and egotistical and lazy and apathetic and he reeks of _Axe_ and...Jeonghan forgot where he was going with this.

 

“Maybe, instead of worrying about me being a dad...” Jeonghan advises kindly. “You should think about trying to get in Wonwoos good books again.”

 

Mingyu sighs and brings his arms up behind his head, interlocking his fingers, like some kind of shounen anime character.

 

“So now you're a part time therapist too.” He sounds a little sad.

 

Jeonghan pokes his waist, knowing a sad Mingyu is not one he wants to deal with. He doesn't even know how.

 

“Go finish your morning run.”

 

Mingyu rubs his side with a sheepish grin.

 

“Come over Sunday. It's been forever since we smoked together.”

 

“Okay.”Jeonghan rolls his eyes as Mingyu sticks his earbuds back in his ears.

 

“Tell Choi Cocaine I said hi!” He drawls, running down the track and towards the exit of the park.

 

“I won't!” Jeonghan calls back, stuffing Dino's hat in his pocket.

 

Mingyu flips him off again.

 

He sighs, folding his arms. The old couple are giving him a weird look probably because of the cocaine mention. Jeonghan tries not to turn red under their scrutinizing eyes and goes toward Dino who seems to be having trouble picking up momentum on the swing.

 

“You want me to push you?” He asks with a smile.

 

“Ya!” Dino nods vigorously.

 

Jeonghan goes behind him, placing his palms on Dino's tiny backside and gently pushing him. The wind blows Jeonghans hair into his face. Dino laughs freely, musically almost, as he soars into the air.

 

“Higher! Higher, Jeonghan hyung!”

 

~

 

How does hot cocoa sound?” Jeonghan suggests upon seeing Dino shiver as he pulls his sweater off.

 

Dino nods, cheeks pink, face cool. Jeonghan brushes his bangs out of his eyes and goes to hang his sweater on the hook.

He goes into the kitchen, absently dogging through cupboards till he finds a tub of cocoa powder. Dino toddles in after him.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung, who's your friend?” He asks climbing onto one of the table chairs.

 

Mingyus shit eating grin appears in Jeonghans mind.

 

“Mingyu?”

 

“Ya.”

 

“What about him?” Jeonghan turns to Dino who seems to be thinking about his words very carefully.

 

“Is he your friend?” He asks finally.

 

“I-I guess?” Jeonghan answers.

 

Jeonghans relationship with Mingyu is more of a _very very occasional casual fuck buddies who also smoke together_ sort of acquaintanceship than an actual friendship.

 

“Oo.” Dino seems dejected.

 

“Why, baby?” Jeonghan looks at him puzzled.

 

“Well…” Dino toddles his thumbs, staring at the table with red cheeks. “I dunno.”

 

Jeonghan bites his lip. What is it about Mingyu than has Dino so troubled?

 

“Do you like him?” Jeonghan asks.

 

“Uhh.” Dino's mouth hangs open as he stares around the room. “Do _you_ like him?”

 

Jeonghan snorts.

 

“Dino, tell me what's bothering you.”

 

“Brothering?”

 

“Bothering, baby. It means like, what's _annoying_ you, or what has you feeling like this?”

 

“Like Eddy from Pororo!” Dino exclaims.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Eddy brothorers me.” Dino says, sticking his tongue out. “I don' like him.”

 

Jeonghan chuckles. Maybe they can discuss it a different day.

 

“Alright, baby.”

 

“Jeonghan hyung you have long hairs, right?” Dino takes the cue to switch topics.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I know a girl who has long hairs!” Dino exclaims. “Nayoung!”

 

“A lot of girls have long hair.”

 

“Ya but.” Dino scratches his face. “Her hairs is always tied like...like..” He thinks hard, ruffling his own hair. “She told me what is called. She says her Mam do it for her.”

 

Jeonghan hums thoughtfully.

 

“Does she do her hair in a braid?”

 

“Ya!” Dino exclaims. “Braid!”

 

“I'm sure she looks very pretty.” Jeonghan trills, looking at Dino.

 

“She's super duper pretty.” He nods innocently.

 

“Do you like her?” Jeonghan asks teasingly.

 

“Yeah! Nayoung’s my friend!” He nods vigorously. “I super duper like her and she super duper likes me! We play superhero together.”

 

Jeonghan blinks but then bursts into loud guffaws.

 

“Hey! Why you are laughing?” Dino demands despite bursting into giggles himself.

 

“You’re cute, Dino.” Jeonghan tells him with an adoring smile.

 

“I am not cute.” Dino pouts. “I’m a big boy.”

 

Jeonghan chuckles and nods.

 

“Big boys can be cute.”

 

“Jeonghan-hyungs cute!” Dino attempts to fire back. “Even Papa say so.”

 

 Now _that_ makes Jeonghan stutter beyond control. He feels his face get hot.

 

“He-oh-um-he does? Oh wow I-uh-cool-i mean...yeah.” Jeonghan pushes his hair out of his face, staring at floor.

 

Seungcheol probably just said it to make Dino happy. It’s nothing to get worked up over, right?

 

 _You’re cute._ Hearing those words coming from Seungcheols dry lips makes Jeonghans legs feel like jelly. How embarrassing.

 

“Will you make your hairs? In braid?” Dino asks after a beat of strange silence.

 

“Mm.” Jeonghan nods, cooling down. “I don't know how to do a braid, though.”

 

“Papa knows!” Dino exclaims.

 

Jeonghan's puzzled by that. Seungcheol knows how to do a braid?

 

“How...how does Papa know?” The question is out before he can stop it.

 

“He's done before on Nayoungs Mam.” Dino seems to notice the odd shift in Jeonghan's behavior. “She teached him.”

 

“Oh.” Jeonghan doesn't understand why he's bothered by that, he throws some spoons of cocoa into the pot.

 

She's probably married. Nayoungs mom. They're probably just friends.

 

She's just a girl. Who's a friend. She's a girlfriend. But she's not a girlfriend. She is a girl friend. A girl who is a friend. Just that.

 

“Papa will do on you if you ask.” Dino seems to be trying to salvage the mood. “He's super good.”

 

“I'll ask someday.” _Probably not_.

 

“Hey Jeonghan-hyung, why I don't have a Mama?”

 

Jeonghan stirs tensely, mind still on Seungcheol. The smell of chocolate bursts into the air.

 

“Oh, um, some people just don't have moms.”

 

Dino slumps on the table and blows a raspberry.

 

“But I want one.”

 

“Well, you have Papa.” Jeonghan reasons.

 

_And me._

 

“But Papas always away!” Dino whines, patting his hands on the table.

 

“He's fighting the evil guys.” Jeonghan reminds with a snort as he pours the cocoa into a mug for Dino. “So you can be safe.”

 

“But supah-heroes should...um...uh.” He looks at a loss for words but seems to find them when finally sitting up. “I miss him!”

 

“You guys have marshmallows?” Jeonghan mumbles, once again dogging through the cupboards.

 

“Jeongh’n-hyung, listen!” Dino whines.

 

“I'm listening, baby, I'm listening!” Jeonghan promises, suppressing a laugh, as he finds an unopened package of marshmallows.

 

“I wish Papa was home!” Dino whines. “I miss him…”

 

Jeonghan fights to keep his smile as he dunks 3 marshmallows into the brown liquid. He also wishes Seungcheol was home more often, even though he loves being with Dino more than anything.

 

“I wanna play with Jeonghan-hyung _and_ Papa.” Dino sighs sleepily as Jeonghan sets his mug in front of him.

 

Dino eyes the mug before sitting up.

 

“I want the elephant cup.”

 

“The what?” Jeonghan asks as he sets the pot in the sink.

 

“Elephant cup.” Dino repeats as if Jeonghan knows exactly what he's talking about.

 

Jeonghan turns to the cupboards again, scanning them for the _elephant cup_ which ends up being a small blue mug with a grey elephant on it with the trunk as the handle. He takes it out of the cupboard and pours Dino's chocolate into it.

 

“Thank you!” Dino chirps, happily taking the elephant cup into his hands.

 

Jeonghan shivers a little, still clad in Seungcheols bomber, and decides to set some water for tea. Dino kicks his legs, singing some made up song about who knows what. Jeonghan glances up at the clock 2:21.

 

Odd. Seungcheol should be home by now.

 

He mentally shrugs and gets a packet of instant tea out of the jar on the counter, setting it in a mug for himself and then pouring hot water into it, almost relishing in the soothing aroma that erupts into the kitchen at that.

 

He stirs absently, wondering if he should make a cup for Seungcheol.

 

“Jeongh’n-hyung! Can I watch the TV while I drink my hot chocolate?” Dino asks.

 

“Sure, bud.” Jeonghan nods, hands hovering over the cupboard as he contemplates pulling out another mug.

 

Dino leaps off the chair, grabbing his cup carefully before heading out of the kitchen slowly. Jeonghan scratches the back of his head, glancing up at the clock once again.

 

2:25.

 

He sighs, letting the bomber slide off his shoulders so it rests in the crooks of his elbows. Maybe Seungcheols stuck in traffic? Or he had to stay late to do something?

 

The hum of the TV distracts his thoughts as he shrugs and grabs his mug, blowing on it before taking a sip. A pleasant warmth blossoms in his stomach.

 

Dino laughs loudly in the living room. A smile finds its way onto Jeonghans face. He could listen to Dino's laugh all day.

 

When Jeonghan is halfway done with his tea, he hears the twist of a key in a lock, and the creak of a door. Dino is already running, yelling excitedly because _Papa’s home!_ and _oh_ Dino has _so much_ to tell him about his morning with Jeonghan-hyung!

 

Jeonghan steps out of the kitchen to see Seungcheol grappling with some plastic bags of groceries as Dino chatters on, pressing his face in between Seungcheols thighs like he always does. Seungcheol laughs, trying to shimmy around him. Sure, he does look tired, like he hasn't slept, but there's contentedness there that outweighs that so much, Jeonghan bursts into a big smile himself.

 

“Welcome home.” He calls, holding his mug with both hands.

 

Seungcheol looks up at him, big eyes crinkled into shining crescents as he smiles, giggling happily. There's a pause where Seungcheol straightens up, eyes still on Jeonghan, the crinkle of his eyes relaxing, the giddy smile on his lips changing into an dazed grin as his eyes travel to the jacket around Jeonghans arms.

 

“Hi.” He breathes out, big eyes coming back up to meet Jeonghans like he can't believe he's there.

 

Jeonghan feels the tiniest bit self conscious, maybe a little embarrassed by how much he likes Seungcheols gaze on him. He sips his mug just for the sake of breaking eye contact and hiding the blush that has no doubt crept onto his face.

 

Seungcheol takes it as a que to shuffle into the kitchen and set the groceries on the table. Dino toddles in beside him still talking in tumbles about how Seungkwannie and Hansol and him played on the swings. Seungcheol settles down into a chair, pulling Dino into his lap so he can listen more attentively.

 

Jeonghan pulls out a mug for him, filling it with hot water and a tea packet before setting it in front of him and settling into the adjacent seat, resting his elbow on the table, cupping his chin in his palm, listening to Dino's story.

 

“And then Jeonghan-hyung fixed his ouchie!” Dino says with a tone of finality.

 

“Wow, baby.” Seungcheol comments. “Sounds like you had a crazy day.”

 

Dino nods vigorously as Seungcheol kisses his cheek.

 

“And then Jeonghan hyung friend said hi. And then we came home and Jeonghan hyung made me hot chocolate.”

 

Seungcheol hums, attention completely on Dino as he loosens his tie.

 

“Jeonghan-hyungs the best!” Dino exclaims. “I wanna him to come over everyday!”

 

Jeonghan covers his mouth and gives a little chuckle at that. Seungcheol brushes Dino's hair out of his face.

 

“Jeonghan-hyung is the best, isn't he?” He agrees matching Dino's vigor.

 

“Super duper best.” Dino grins, gazing up at Seungcheol and resting his head on his chest.

 

Seungcheol kisses the top of his head before pulling him into a tight hug. Dino snickers, wiggling in Seungcheols arms before yawning

 

“You must be tired from playing all morning, huh baby?” Seungcheol says, wiping the tiny tears prickling at Dino's eyes from his yawn. “Did you go to the bathroom at all?”

 

“No.” Dino rubs his eye with a dopey grin.

 

“Why don’t you go now? And I’ll come check on you in a few minutes.” Seungcheol suggests softly. “You can do that right? You’re a big boy.”

 

Dino gives a single determined nod and scurries out of Seungcheols arms and down the hall. Seungcheol straightens up and faces Jeonghan, hands reaching out to gingerly grab the mug.

 

“I didnt put any sugar.” Jeonghan gives a disclaimer.

 

Seungcheol shrugs, taking a sip.

 

“Thank you.” He says quietly, setting the mug down.

 

“You okay?” Jeonghan asks, folding both arms over the table.

 

Seungcheols eyebrows knit as he takes another sip. Without his smile, Jeonghan once again notices the stress lines, the achiness, the darkness under his eyes.

 

“Just tired.” Seungcheol answers. “Thanks for looking after him.”

 

“It's no problem.” Jeonghan nods. “And I'm sorry about this morning, I just was so careless and I just fell asleep without looking at the time-”

 

“Hey it's fine. It happens.” Seungcheol says.

 

“But you were so worried.” Jeonghans mouth droops down. “I made you so worried and I'm so sorry.”

 

“What's important is that Dino's safe and you're safe, right?” Seungcheol musters a grin. “No harm done.”

 

Jeonghan gives a sheepish grin that doesn't reach his eyes as he looks down. Seungcheols just being polite, he probably won't have Jeonghan look after Dino again.

 

“Hey.” Seungcheol gently tries to meet his eyes. “Nice jacket.”

 

Jeonghan breaks into a chuckle.

 

“Thanks.” He looks up, not as crestfallen. “How was your internship thingy?”

 

Seungcheol mulls the words in his mouth, hesitating, when the growl of his stomach answers for him. An immediate lightbulb goes off in Jeonghans head.

 

“I still have your rice from this morning!” He exclaims, standing up and heading toward the fridge.

 

“What did I do in my past life to deserve tea _and_ lunch made by you?” Seungcheol laughs. “Are you usually this nice?”

 

“Consider yourself lucky.” Jeonghan quips as he pulls the Tupperware out of the fridge, giddy at how Seungcheols eyes twinkle.

 

He gets a spoon and a bowl out of the cupboard, scooping some rice into it before clicking open the microwave.

 

“Continue, though.” He says, once the bowl starts to spin. “How was your day?”

 

“Eh.”

 

“How descriptive.”

 

“That’s as descriptive as I’m willing to get about that sweatshop.” Seungcheol laughs.

 

“Oh it can’t be _that_ bad.”

 

Jeonghan grabs a spoon from the drawer and sets the bowl in front of Seungcheol, before sitting adjacent to him and they fall into what feels like a routinely pattern that they’ve been engaging in together everyday, but in actuality, this is the first time they’ve sat down like this, with warmth in between their fingers and relaxed hushed mid afternoon voices.

 

~

 

They’re settling into the longue after lunch. Jeonghan flips on the TV. Dino dances around him to the jingles playing in the commercials.

 

“Are you dancing, baby?” Seungcheol laughs as he plops onto the sofa.

 

“Ya!” Dino grabs Jeonghans hand and twirls around him.

 

They twirl in circles until the commercials stop and the news comes on.

 

“Phooey.” Dino pouts.

 

Seungcheol tries to hide a grin as he flips through channels until settling on a idol music show. Some group with a ton of members is performing a funky pop song with fun and fresh lyrics that match the groups age. Fanchants echo in the background.

 

Dino giggles before clumsily copying their dance moves.

 

“Wow, Dino!” Jeonghan whoops. “You’re like Michael Jackson!”

 

“Who?” Dino asks as he does a twirl.

 

“He’s a-oh, well, nevermind.” Jeonghan laughs sheepishly. “What I mean is that you’re a good dancer, bud.”

 

“Oh!” Dino lights up. “Thanks, Jeonghan-hyung!”

 

The song ends and the fans cheer. The two MC’s then come on screen, joke around a little before announcing the next performer. The female MC has her hair in an intricate braid.

 

“Hey, Seungcheol.” Jeonghan starts.

 

“Hmm?” Seungcheol turns to him.

 

Jeonghan tucks his legs up on the sofa.

 

“Dino tells me that you know how to braid hair.”

 

The tiniest bit of a blush creeps onto Seungcheols face before he guffaws loudly. He scratches the back of his head still giggling.

 

“Oh yeah. A friend, Yejin, taught me. She sings guides for Jihoons music.” He answers. “She's super nice.”

 

“Cool.” Jeonghan nods along. “Dino said she was one of his friends mom.”

 

“Yeah, Nayoung, they’re inseparable.” Seungcheol giggles. “But yeah, anyways, the two of us were just sitting around drinking in Jihoons studio once and Yejin taught me how to do a simple three strand braid on Jihoon. Jihoon had longer hair back then.”

 

“Three strand?” Jeonghan fades out confusedly.

 

“Yeah, they go like...” Seungcheol makes weird hand motions.

 

Jeonghan snorts. “What?”

 

“Like...like this.” Seungcheol does the hand motion again, a goofy grin creeping onto his face. “I don't know how to explain it!”

 

Jeonghan breaks into a giggle at Seungcheols frustration as he tries to criss cross his fingers to show Jeonghan the pattern, insisting “like this!”

 

“Do it on my hair.” He suggests suddenly.

 

Seungcheol pauses, processing that, he then bursts into a laugh.

 

“I haven't braided hair in months. I don't remember how to do it!” He exclaims, running his hands through own hair.

 

“Really?” Jeonghan raises his eyebrows with a grin. “From the scientific way in which you're explaining this braid to me.” Jeonghan mimics Seungcheols hand motions. “It seems like you're a professional.”

 

Seungcheol laughs, covering his face defeatedly.

 

“Fine.” He says. “But I don't have a hair band.”

 

“No worries.” Jeonghan shows him his wrist that adorns 3 different hair bands in 3 different colors.

 

Bless his sister for sending him a package every month.

 

Seungcheol licks his lips, a glint in his eyes.

 

“Okay, sit here.” He gestures between his knees with a sigh. “If I mess up, it's on you.”

 

“That's fine.” Jeonghan slinks to his knees and scooches over.

 

“Me next!” Dino exclaims. “Me next!”

 

“You next?” Seungcheol looks up. “Your hair is a little short, baby.”

 

Dino’s hands go into his wavy hair. He tugs them and frowns.

 

“I can try, Dino.” Seungcheol tells him.

 

Dino folds his arms and plops into Jeonghans lap and goes back to watching TV.

 

What happens next, Jeonghan isn’t prepared for. Awful tugging on his scalp, huffs of confusion, strands being left out, getting somewhere but then Seungcheol undoing the whole thing in frustration and starting over, etc.

 

Jeonghans neck starts hurting but he remains silent because Seungcheols fingers in his hair (when they aren’t _yanking_ his hair) feel really nice. Besides, his younger sister has always whined to him that he should try a braid ever since he started growing his hair out in college. He can send her picture. Showing her in person, or even having her do it would be difficult considering she’s in France for school.

Jeonghan suddenly starts missing her. Come to think of it, it’s been longer than a year since he’s seen any of his family when they decided to move out to France. A weird pain twangs in his heart. He feels homesick for a home that isn’t there anymore.

 

“How’s it coming out?” Jeonghan asks to distract himself, once Seungcheol has again grappled enough hair together.

 

Seungcheol is out of breath.

 

“Good. Not bad. I’m getting somewhere.”

 

“It better look amazing. My butts falling asleep.” Jeonghan playfully threatens.

 

Seungcheol laughs as a piece of hair falls on Jeonghans face.

 

“The pressure is killing me.” He undoes the braid and gathers the strand of hair off Jeonghans forehead, starting over.

 

After 30 minutes (Seungcheol insists 10), the braid is finally finished.

 

“Papa, you’re so _slow._ ” Din teases as he comes round back to see the braid before he gasps.

 

“How does it look Dino?” Jeonghan asks.

 

“So pretty! Just like Nayoungs!” Dino bounces and rushes into Jeonghans arms, grinning up at him. “Even more pretty than Nayoungs!”

 

Jeonghan turns around to see Seungcheol hiding his face, shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. Jeonghan immediately starts giggling.

 

“What? What? Is it bad?” He asks, trying to pry Seungcheols hands off his face.

 

Seungcheol shakes his head, guffawing openly. He nods, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

 

“Turn around.” He says between laughs.

 

Jeonghan turns and hears the shutter of an iPhone camera.

 

“Lemme see.” He immediately goes for the phone, a stupid grin refusing to leave his face.

 

It _is_ a braid, in the very technical sense of the term. Only in the technical sense of the term.

 

Seungcheol falls back on the sofa and starts laughing harder, clutching his stomach.

 

Jeonghan starts laughing so hard, his sides begin to hurt. There’s loopies and twisties and knots and Jeonghan is no expert, but he’s positive a braid looks very different from this.

 

“Text thi…” He heaves out. “Text this to me…”

 

A minute passes and the laughter finally dies down. Jeonghan sighs and wipes a tear from his eye. Then he makes eye contact with Seungcheol and they both start guffawing all over again.

 

“What is so funny?!” Dino desperately wants to know, but as a child, with a simple thought process, with a monkey see monkey do mindset that he hasn’t grown out of yet, he tumbled into Seungcheols arms and giggles along. “I don’t get it!”

 

That makes the whole ordeal even funnier. Jeonghan starts laughing so hard, there are literally tears coming down his face. Seungcheol is clutching his side on the brink of an asthma attack.

 

“Oh my god.” He gasps. “I’m gonna die.”

 

Jeonghan slaps his hands over his face, trying to kill his laughter.

 

~

 

The minutes pass and Jeonghan finds himself lulled into a tranquil hour where time moves slowly but comfortably. The winter sun is slowly moving down the sky. Seungcheol is dozing off on the sofa. Jeonghan doesn’t try to keep him awake, who knows how long its been since he’s had an afternoon nap? Dino has brought out some crayons and paper, is busily drawing away in Jeonghans lap. The TV is on a low hum, playing a marine life documentary that follows whale migrations.

 

“Hey, Jeonghan-hyung!” Dino chirps, looking up from what he's drawing, shaggy hair tickling Jeonghan's neck as he twists to face him.

 

“Yes, baby?”

 

“What's your favorite color?”

 

Jeonghan peers over at the drawing Dino is making. It's him clearly, with his long _long_ brown hair trailing behind him, hands on his waist. It's missing some color.

 

“You want to color my shirt?” Jeonghan asks, pointing at the outline of the shirt he's wearing.

 

Dino turns to face him, nodding reverently. Jeonghan on instinct breaks into a smile. It's impossible to not smile with Dino.

 

“Tell me, tell me!”

 

“Guess.” He says.

 

Dino thinks hard for a few seconds, mouth squished into a cute little pout. Jeonghan has to bite back a giggle. Dino then breaks into a toothy grin, eyes crinkling like pretty crescent moons.

 

“Blue!”

 

To tell the truth, Jeonghan doesn't have a favorite color. But the way Dino yells it out so excitedly, with so much joy, with so much honey in his voice, it does something.

 

Jeonghans heart skips a beat.

 

“Thats right.”

 

Dino giggles and picks up the blue crayon, filling in his shirt.

 

“I knew it.”

 

Jeonghan looks at the jagged out of the lines coloring of the blue, hands feeling a little cold but warmth spreading in his chest. It's just a color among a dozen other colors, but Jeonghan could probably live in it now.

 


End file.
